RONEN ZILBERMAN / RZILBERMAN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Jean-Michel Cousteau teaches Tyler Ikehara, center, and Kailee Graff of Unity Preschool to use the new computerized whale information kiosk.
Outrigger makes big splash
with humpback whale kiosk
For a moment yesterday, 3-year-old Kailee Graf had the ocean at her fingertips.
With the touch of a button, Graf stood inside the Outrigger Reef Hotel lobby and explored the marine world of Hawaii's humpback whales.
"I like the big splashes that they do," Graf said, adding that she enjoys whale watching with her family.
Now, Graf and her family won't have to travel far to see some of the ocean's largest mammals. The Outrigger unveiled its Humpback Whale Information Kiosk, a touch-screen computer system, yesterday during a dedication ceremony.
Designed by the National Marine Sanctuary Program, the 600-pound, $30,000 prototype is just one aspect of a recent partnership between Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, the Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
The Honolulu-based hotelier has committed to working with both organizations to inform, educate and enrich the experiences of guests staying at affiliated hotels.
An adventure reef guide will be available to guests this summer along with children's island explorer kits. A series of mini documentaries also will air throughout Outrigger and OHANA Hotels in Waikiki.
RONEN ZILBERMAN / RZILBERMAN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Children from Unity Preschool watched a presentation yesterday by ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau on how to use the new computerized whale information kiosk. The kiosk features an extensive database of information and photos of Hawaii's National Marine Sanctuary and the humpback whales that visit the area between November and April.
The computer kiosk will help hundreds of thousands of people each year to get better acquainted with Hawaii's humpback whales, Cousteau said.
"People protect what they love. However, people can only love what they understand," Cousteau said. "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 partnership will help tourists learn more about Hawaii's marine life and culture and provide them with an incentive to visit the state, said Dr. Chuck Kelley, director of sales for special markets at Outrigger Enterprises Inc.
"When people travel, they want to be actively involved. They are seeking an educational or cultural experience," he said. "This exhibit can help give tourists a reason to come to Hawaii."
