MJV writes Alaska Airlines cover story about Maui humpbacks 1 Feb. 2010 HEALDSBURG, Calif. - Maui, Hawaii, is the best place on Earth to see humpback whales in the wild, at least according to a recent article in the pages of Alaska Airlines magazine by Matt Villano. The piece, titled "Humpback Haven," appeared on the cover of the February issue. The magazine was inserted into all of the airline's seat-back pockets today. In the seven-page article, Villano paints a colorful picture of whale-watching in Hawaii. He also outlines some of the latest and greatest whale research going on there, and provides readers with pointers about the best spots to see whales. Villano even looks into the future for Hawaii's humpbacks, informing readers on how recent population growth could lead to federal "de-listing" of the whales as "endangered." The author reported the story over sporadically over a better part of the last year. He visits Maui at least once a year. Currently, an electronic copy of the article is not available. Villano will post a PDF version as soon as he can scan it. Villano is regular contributor to Alaska Airlines. His next story is due out this summer; the subject: the McCarthy Road from Chitina to Kennicott, Alaska. To read some of Villano's other stories for the magazine, click here.