Hawai'i Uncharted Research Collective is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that began in Kona in 2017. After years working on the water, the founding research team noticed that whale shark sightings (considered extremely rare) may be occurring more often than previously thought. With tourism increasing in the once sleepy town of Kona, more people are bringing cameras on the water, allowing the studying of this elusive species to become a reality.

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We strive to bring the community together. We pair citizen science and education with scientific research and technology to learn more about this relatively unknown species in Hawaiian waters. Through these research efforts we aim to increase awareness and knowledge about whale sharks and inform strong conservation-minded initiatives for their future preservation.