A hero in our midst, right here on Maui

While it was not a KCA related event, we were fortunate to attend the latest Maui Ocean Center’s “Sea Talk” at their facility in Maalaea on Thursday (1/29/15), a marvelous community service provided with no admission. The guest presenter was Ed Lyman and his topic was Large Whale Entanglement Response

Many of us are familiar with the too frequent occurrence of sea creatures being trapped and tangled in man made devices, most always related to fishing, and may have seen pictures or even videos of attempts to free them from this life threatening dilemma.

Ed is one of the very few guys who is educated and experienced to attempt these rescues of the Hawaiian Humpback Whales who visit our waters each season. His presentation featured both still and video materials, offering statistics as well as extraordinary video of actual rescues both in our local waters and elsewhere, many in which he was an active participant.

This man of prodigious talent, courage and knowledge is also a lively,stimulating presenter of this material to a packed room, and in addition a very modest individual, continuously crediting numerous agencies and individuals for all of their actions in this endeavor. He carefully explained how these actual rescues were in no way a match for the vast number of whales and other sea creatures continuously caught by a wide array of gear from both local and far away sources, but they also aided in the overall effort by providing clues to the causes as well as potential ways to mitigate them.

Unfortunately our visual attempts to report Ed’s presentation which follow can only capture some of the factual material, but in no way allow the experience of this entertaining man and his mind boggling, heroic feats. As is said, you had to be there. Mahalo, Ed.