Holly Lohuis is a lifelong marine biologist, naturalist, and conservationist whose work has shaped California’s Channel Islands and inspired a deeper appreciation for marine ecosystems globally. With over 30 years of experience, Holly has dedicated her career to exploring, conserving, and educating others about the ocean. Known for her extensive knowledge of the Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary, she currently serves as a naturalist and guide with Island Packers, the Channel Islands’ official boat concessionaire. Her passion for this unique region and its diverse marine life has made her a trusted voice in conservation, inspiring countless visitors to understand and protect the ocean.
A core part of Holly’s conservation legacy is her role in establishing the Santa Barbara Channel as a Whale Heritage Area, a rare designation that highlights regions worldwide where humans and cetaceans coexist responsibly. This initiative, driven by Holly’s advocacy, encourages sustainable tourism and conservation-minded engagement, providing a model for ecotourism worldwide. Beyond this, Holly has championed programs like “Blue Whales and Blue Skies” and Whale Safe, aimed at reducing ship strikes and ocean noise to protect whale populations in the Channel. Her collaborations with organizations like Happywhale and Cascadia Research have also advanced public science, empowering communities to play an active role in tracking and studying whale populations.
Before joining Island Packers, Holly spent over two decades with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, traveling the world as part of Cousteau’s expedition team and appearing as an on-camera biologist in documentaries like the IMAX film Secret Ocean 3D. Her background in marine biology and communications allows her to bridge the gap between science and storytelling, bringing ocean conservation to audiences worldwide. Inspired as a young girl by Jacques Cousteau’s documentaries, Holly has pursued a career marked by passion, education, and advocacy—something that she shows the next generation is possible when you commit fully to the thing you love most.
