Outrigger Hotels & Resorts has taken a major step toward enriching their guests' experience with the wonders of the Pacific Ocean by partnering with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, two of the most respected organizations in the field of marine exploration, education and preservation. The result has been a "whale of a kiosk" project two years in the making.

The Honolulu-based hotelier, who operates 50 properties in Hawaii, Australia and across the Pacific, has entered the agreements to jointly pursue projects in 2004 that inform, educate and enrich the experiences of guests staying at an Outrigger or OHANA Hotels throughout the Pacific. The partnerships were jointly announced last month in Hawaii by Dr. Chuck Kelley of Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Ocean Explorer Jean Michel Cousteau of Ocean Futures Society and Naomi McIntosh of the National Marine Sanctuary Program.

"We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the leadership of Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and to say that we are all committed to being partners in protection," said Jean-Michel Cousteau, board trustee of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and president of Ocean Futures Society. "People protect what they love. However, people can only love what they understand. In my more than six decades of life, I have come to realize that most people don't understand the important role the ocean plays in our daily lives. That's why partnerships of this variety are so critically important."

The announcement was made during a special dedication ceremony that included the unveiling of the Humpback Whale Information Kiosk, a new whale-tail shaped touch-screen computer system created by the National Marine Sanctuary Program and installed in the lobby at the Outrigger Reef hotel in Waikiki. The 600-pound, one-of-kind prototype, was designed, built and programmed at a cost of $30,000 over a two-year period through a cooperative effort between the National Marine Sanctuary and its parent organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"We are extremely proud to be associated with these two fine organizations that are truly making a difference in educating the public and helping to preserve our precious marine life and ocean ecosystems," said Dr. Chuck Kelley of Outrigger Hotels. "We are especially excited about what these partnerships mean for our guests. The wealth of information that will now be available to our guests will undoubtedly enrich their experience and appreciation of the ocean."

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation will assist Outrigger with comprehensive educational and outreach programs centered around Hawaii's unique marine life with an emphasis on the North Pacific Humpback Whale, which migrates each winter to breed and calve in the waters off the Hawaiian Islands. The foundation will coordinate a series of permanent educational exhibits, expert lectures, ocean activities and community service projects at Outrigger's various properties. By far the most novel component however is the Marine Life Kiosk.

"We are delighted to partner with the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts on this important outreach effort," said Naomi McIntosh, Sanctuary Manager. "Awareness of our marine resources in general, and knowledge about Humpback Whales in particular, needs to be increased, and the best way to do this is through partnerships like this."

Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society will provide a variety of multi-media information and learning tools for Outrigger guests. The main component to be introduced this summer is the "Friends of the Reef Adventure Guide" which will be distributed on a request basis at the front desk and inserted into all Island Explorer Kits given free to children ages 5 to 10. A series of five-minute mini documentaries entitled "Sea Scopes" will air throughout the Outrigger and OHANA Hotels in Waikiki and where video systems allow.

Research www.outrigger.com www.nmsfocean.org www.oceanfeatures.org 

Originally published in the Mar/Apr 2004 issue of Kiosk magazine.