Our Team
We are a team of naturalists, National Geographic Explorers, award-winning filmmakers, photographers, captains, scientists, educators and whale experts with a combined 40 years of experience studying the north pacific humpback whale.
Chris Cilfone: Principal Investigator - Filmmaker - Captain
At his core, Chris is a storyteller. He utilizes the mediums of film, photography, and narration to portray stories of environmental hope and success. He has showcased his short films in festivals across the US, Europe, and North Africa winning awards at every stop. His work has garnered millions of views and inspired and educated thousands on ocean conservation. Most notably, his short, One Voice, was presented at COP21 in France to leaders from around the globe with the hope of inspiring action on climate change.
While at University, Chris obtained a well-rounded grasp of the marine ecosystem by studying the vastly different marine zones in all corners of the United States. From his time analyzing the migration patterns of sand tiger sharks along the eastern seaboard, collecting and cultivating algae samples deep within the inside passage of Southeast Alaska, tagging and tracking sharks and rays off the Florida Keys, and collecting acoustic data on odontocetes under the waters of Hawaii, Chris has gained deep understanding of the interconnectedness of the natural world and committed his life to educating people of that fact.
In 2018, he received the first-ever National Marine Fisheries Service commercial/educational photography permit, allowing him and his team to approach Humpback whales in Maui County waters in order to gather footage for Koholā Film Project. He has partnered with National Geographic as an Explorer and a Leader on National Geographic’s Student Expeditions Program.
He is a Coast Guard licensed 100-ton Master Captain, a PADI Divemaster, and has 13 seasons working with the north pacific Humpbacks under his belt.
As a naturalist for several years in Alaska, Chris has witnessed first-hand the effects of climate change and has seen – on a large scale – the connection between land and sea. Chris is on a mission to inspire a new wave of conservation: one that demands action, one that is driven by hope, and one that continues to go green, but – at its core – will always be blue!
Anna Garner: Co-Investigator - Science Advisor - Captain
Combining her extensive knowledge of the North Pacific humpback whales with her experience and connections to top researchers around the world, Anna is our go-to person for data, fact-checking, scientific support, and dry wit.
She holds a 100-ton Master Captain's License and has 14 years of experience working with various institutes including Hawaii Ocean Project, Keiki Kohola, and Pacific Whale Foundation, conducting research on humpback whales and other cetaceans.
In addition to cetacean research, Anna spent a semester at the School for Field Studies in Turks and Caicos studying marine resource management and conducting field research on settlement patterns of juvenile scleractinian coral. In 2005, she completed her thesis on hypoxia in wind-driven upwelling systems on the Oregon coast and in 2016, she worked with the Hawaii Wildlife fund investigating nesting and coastal distribution of honu ea (hawksbill sea turtle) in Maui.
In our 2018 season, Anna observed a suspected whale placenta while following a mother and her young calf.
Anna Garner is an all-around great human being. A delightful conversationalist and dedicated dog mom, she has lived on Maui for 13 years, taking breaks to sail around the world and spend time in the Pacific Northwest with family. We are thrilled to have Anna as a part of the Koholā Film Project as her knowledge and years of experience give us great insight into the behavior of these whales.
Drew Sulock: Co-Investigator - Photographer - Captain
Drew Sulock is an award-winning photographer, Licensed Coast Guard 100-ton Master Captain, SCUBA Instructor, and expedition leader for the National Geographic Student Expedition Program.
His work has been featured in several publications including covers of Rock and Ice Magazine and Maui No Ka Oi, as well as in various National Geographic publications.
In 2019, he was featured in the National Parks Conservation Association’s A Century of Impact, a coffee table book detailing the association’s work over its first 100 years.
He holds an MA in Marine Affairs and his extensive knowledge of field research and underwater photography will give us the edge we need to capture an event that has evaded researchers, filmmakers, and conservationists for the last half-century. For more of his work, or to buy prints, please visit Drew Sulock Creations.
Michael Donohoe: Co-Investigator - Documentary Filmmaker
Michael Donohoe left Columbus, OH in 2009 to live by the ocean. From 2009-2011 he worked his way down the east coast from Conservation International in Arlington, VA, to Jekyll Island’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center, to the Florida Keys, and finally heading west to Maui to work as a Naturalist with Pacific Whale Foundation.
He has incorporated film projects into his work at every stop, and in 2015, Mike stepped away from guiding whale watch and snorkel tours to focus on filmmaking. That same year, he captured the first-ever underwater footage of world-famous big wave, Pe’ahi, for his film Below Jaws.
In 2018, Mike co-founded Three Tree Creative with three other filmmakers. In 2019, Koholā Film Project and Three Tree Creative collaborated to produce a film for Maui Ocean Center’s Humpbacks of Hawaii Exhibit. Three Tree Creative has had short film selections in the 2019 and 2020 Honolulu Surf Film Festival, and most recently, Mike co-created the music series Holoholo with Tavana McMoore.
Annie Goodenough: Educational Outreach Coordinator - Shark Spotter - Captain
Annie is a self-proclaimed whale nerd. She collected data for 4 summers on the humpback, finback, minke and North Atlantic right whales on the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in New England. For 5 winters, she captivated whale watching audiences by highlighting the wonders of the humpback whales as a Naturalist for Pacific Whale Foundation in Lahaina, HI.
After 7 years of migrating with the whales between mating and foraging grounds, she now resides in Juneau, Alaska where she recently became a Coast Guard licensed 100-ton Master Captain.
In 2017, she joined Gastineau Guiding Company as a science guide, working to instill a sense of ecological interconnectedness in her guests from all over the world as they travel through the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska.
Annie brings her upbeat and infectious attitude as well as her extensive knowledge of the behavior of these whales to the Koholā Film Project.
Mariah J Gill: Community Outreach Liaison
Mariah loves the water. She and her sisters were essentially raised by the Pacific Ocean on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. She grew up surfing, swimming, and diving offshore from Lahaina and was taught very early on to respect and protect the ocean in all its power, beauty and fragility. After graduating from Lahainaluna High School, Mariah attended the University of Southern California where she studied environmental science with a focus on marine conservation. During her four years at USC, Mariah’s marine based research took her to Catalina Island off the coast of California, the Island of Guam, and the Republic of Palau in Micronesia. After graduating with honors and a Bachelor of Science (BS), Mariah moved further from home to attend the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies where she earned her Master’s degree in Environmental Management (MEM) with a concentration on coastal resource management. At Yale, her research took her to the US Virgin Islands, back to the Republic of Palau, and all the way to Bodø, Norway in the Arctic Circle. She also had the opportunity to work with Palau’s first UN Ambassador of the Oceans and Seas, the late Stuart Beck, as a student researcher and campaigner in New York City. At the core of her research was the question, “How do we best manage the many competing interests for coastal and marine resources in our ever-changing world to ensure a clean, bountiful and beautiful future for not only our children, but our great-great-great grandchildren?
Since moving home to Lahaina, Mariah has worked hard to better her community and continues to seek the answer to that question. She works as an environmental consultant, teaches yoga, and volunteers as a Yale Alumni Ambassador providing students on Maui the opportunity to have face-to-face interviews to support their college applications to Yale University. She also stays busy by organizing community service events and free public yoga classes to clean up and bring peace and positivity back to our public spaces. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors hiking, swimming, surfing and diving.
Mariah will serve as our Community Outreach Liaison and will work to connect our team with local, cultural, and historical mana`o and stories about koholā. She is very excited about using the power of photography and film to inspire respect for the ocean and its inhabitants. She believes that conservation efforts are not successful without grassroots support, respect and innovation. Her skills as a water sportswoman will also be a welcomed addition to the team.