HURC is proud to announce our growing team of volunteer ambassadors
To expand our outreach and bring whale shark citizen science to all the islands, Hawai'i Uncharted has assembled an experienced team of volunteer ambassadors. All of our ambassadors are ocean-minded, science-based, professional, and passionate individuals that will help assist HURC with our vision of bringing whale shark research and conservation initiatives to the forefront state-wide.
Nick Croft
Nick has had a love for the ocean since he was a young child. For his 12th birthday, his parents surprised him with scuba classes, where his passion grew even further. Nick became a dive master in Northern California. His urge for adventure brought him to Kauai in 2011 to explore the amazing warmer Pacific waters. These days, diving is not Nick's job, it's his lifestyle. You can always find Nick on the water, he is a true waterman. Nick is proud to join the Hawai'i Uncharted ambassador team for Kauai. He has a deep respect and appreciation for all that the ocean provides and is excited to share whale shark science with the community.
Chloe Cryan
Chloe is an underwater photographer based in Maui, Hawaii. She grew up diving off the shores of the East Coast until she followed her dreams and moved to Maui in 2016. Chloe's work is ignited out of a deep love for the ocean and its inhabitants. Her passion is to capture the majestic lure of sea creatures with a hope to instill a sense of curiosity, appreciation, and respect for marine life in others. Last year, Chloe swam with and photographed two unidentified whale sharks near Molokini Crater. An experience so enchanting and humbling, it sparked her interest in learning more about these beautiful creatures. She spends most of her week in the waters of Molokini Crater, and is thrilled to participate and educate others on whale shark research through Hawaii Uncharted.
Brittany Guenther
Brittany has had a lifelong passion for ocean conservation. She has studied a variety of animals in an up-close and personal setting since her time at College of Charleston in South Carolina. From spending time on the water in South Africa studying great white sharks to watching whales and dolphins in Hawai'i, she has realized the most important way to protect these animals is to educate and inspire. She has been spending most of her days working on boats in the waters off of Lana'i for four years now. On these charter vessels, she is ambitious to inspire conservation through education, which makes her a perfect HURC whale shark ambassador. She prides herself on getting passengers in the water to snorkel and experience what the Hawai'i has to offer. Captain Brittany has her Master 100 Gross Ton License.
Nick Brilliande
Nick was born and raised in Hawai'i, always having a passion for the ocean and its inhabitants ever since he was young. Through activities such as fishing, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, swimming, and body surfing, he learned a little more about the ocean each time. Nick has a BA in Marine Science from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and obtained a Masters in Teaching Science at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Nick has been involved in sea turtle response, dolphin rehabilitation, and fish biology. He currently lives on Lāna'i, where he teaches high school sciences including Zoology, Marine Science, and Plants/Animals of Hawai'i. This is his 4th year on Lāna'i and he continues to learn, enjoy, and spread knowledge about the ocean.
Andrea Gutierrez
Andrea, or more commonly known as Dre, is passionate about raising awareness for whale sharks so that future generations have a better understanding of the species in Hawaiian waters. Growing up, Dre was able to spend time on boats off California and Mexico, which began her love for the underwater world. Dre has been on the water in Hawaii since she was 18 years old. During those years, she has seen the boating community rapidly expand; Dre would like to use outreach events to share information gathered by HURC to further protect the species.
Kimberly Wood
Kimberly A. Wood is a wildlife conservation photographer and documentary film maker that began working the Hawaiian waters in 2009. Her passion for the ocean and its inhabitants lead to her attending the University of Hawaii to study Marine Biology. She has a BA in education and enjoys bridging the gap between scientists and everyone else. She has traveled extensively to do conservation work, including places like Sri Lanka, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa, focusing most of her international work on wildlife conservation awareness photojournalism. Working with Hawaii Uncharted Research Collective allows Kimberly to be involved with her research interests in migratory animals and their ecosystems as well as inner-species interactions with migratory animals.
Do you live on the islands of O'ahu or Moloka'i? Are in you interested in becoming a volunteer HURC ambassador for your island? If so, please contact us.
© 2019 by Hawai'i Uncharted Research Collective