First of all let me say congratulations on one of the “Earth Friendliest” products I have reviewed to date. I’m retired from economics and as such get involved in forecasting retail trends for various companies. I recently undertook a project that paired “Organic” and “Earth Friendly” companies with their major shareholders. I was shocked to discover who actually funds some of the more familiar names on the shelves as well as what in turn those profits support. In one case, a well-known “Organic” company was actually funded by a tobacco company, a petrol company as well as the leading developer of genetically modified foods. Good on you guys for doing the right thing! You have a great product and you’re a solid example of what business of, and for, the future should be.

  ~Peter Fitzgerald
     Sydney, Australia

PS - Any plans for making it down this way?

Peter,
That must have been an interesting study. We are somewhat familiar with the associations you describe. It sure would be nice if labels told the whole story. It’s hard to find money to expand and I’m sure it’s easy to look the other way with your dreams of success on the line. It’s a difficult choice that each individual wrestles with every day on a smaller scale. The right choice isn’t always the easiest. The good news is that even though some of these companies are funded by questionable sources, they are still producing good products that are developing the demand for better food. We’re happy to be a part of that as well as we try to take it to the next level.

    ~Ric & Rick
       Whale Tails Tortilla Chips

Hello there,

I found your chips in a most unusual way. I was actually on a kayaking trip in the Sea Of Cortez. We were 13 days into the trip and for the last night we all brought a surprise. Julie, a good friend from college got all the attention when she rolled out 6 bags of Whale Tails and some avocados that by some miracle weren’t too far beyond ripe! Maybe it was the salt air, the sunburned head or the scenery but your chips were the best I’ve ever had. When we were done with the munch, Julie read us the bag – I mean here I was in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, eating a product that supports what I had been experiencing the last 2 weeks! Thanks for a job well done! I have my own business too and know it’s not easy but you've got my vote...and Julie's and Tim's and Lori's, Michael's, Mac's, Sally's and Olivia's!

PS - When I got home, I looked you guys up on the web. I’m impressed and depressed. Impressed at all you’re doing for whales and the ocean – Depressed that I can’t find you in stores nearby. If you’re coming to Northern California, I’ll tell everyone I know… Any plans?

~Matt Rossen
    Mill Valley, California

Matt,
Sounds like a great trip and thanks for the kind words. I wish that all of our customers could get the kind of introduction to our chips that you did. There’s a big beautiful world out there and we all have the opportunity to play a role in keeping it around for the next generations to learn from and enjoy. Sometimes it’s as simple buying a bag of chips!

As far as getting Whale Tails in your neck of the woods, Ric & Terry are heading up to San Francisco next week to see what we can do about that. As a small start-up our resources are limited. It takes a while to get noticed but thanks to people like you, it’s happening! In the meantime, if you’re near Alameda, head down to the Crab Cove Visitors Center. It’s a cool place as well as our newest account. They’ll have our chips as well as a bunch of great ways to spend the day. Check them out at www.ebparks.org/parks/crab.htm

~Ric & Rick
Whale Tails Tortilla Chips

Hi Ric,

I wanted to let you know that your wonderful Whaletail chips were a big hit among many of the recipients of my gift which included your superb chips and what I believe could be the best salsa I've ever had from a local guy in Tulsa Oklahoma at mydadssalsa.com (his salsa is a lot better than his website). I actually ran out of salsa for a few recipients and just tossed them my extra chips and found they were a hit on their own. Your chips were so popular I've been asked where they can be purchased locally and have referred all to your website for the best information.

Thanks for making doing business with you easy and for providing a key ingredient the Christmas cheer of many. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all the best for the upcoming New Year.

All the Best, Steve

Thanks Steve !!
We are also hoping for a good year. Our goal for 2007 is to get distribution on the East Coast. With revenue generated from this part of the country we intend to help the folks at Clearwater Aquarium who are rehabilitating a little dolphin named "Winter" who lost her tail have being entangled in a lobster trap. I am going to get our "webmaster" working on our website and allow folks to purchase a case of Whale Tails Tortilla Chips off the website by using a credit card. Especially our new "Fans" in Oklahoma.

Thanks again for the nice comments.
  ~Ric
Whale Tails Tortilla Chips

My name is Kit McBride. I’m an eighth grade student and live in Beverly, Massachusetts. Up until two weeks ago, all I wanted for Christmas was Peace On Earth and everywhere else. My father is in the Army and won’t be home this year for the holidays. Over the last few months, our school sold red white and blue ribbons in an effort to show our support. We took pictures and wrote letters and sent my Dad and several others a big box stuffed with all sorts of goodies including your chips that my Mom ordered from California. Mom said that he has always loved whales. He actually called us when he got the box and said that next to the pictures and letters, his favorite thing was your Whale Tails chips! He also said that there are a lot of ways to make a difference in the world and that your company is doing just that. So for Christmas, along with Peace on Earth, I would like to see Whale Tails Chips in the stores in my town. Thanks for making great chips, doing a really good thing and making my Dad smile.
~Kit

Thanks for the letter and inspiration. I’m sorry to hear that your Dad won’t be home for the holidays. I’m sure that he is extremely proud of you and your efforts to show your love and support. I wish I could tell you that life gets easier, but I will say that doing “the right thing” and following your heart is extremely rewarding. I hope you get your wish for Peace and that your father gets home soon. We will do everything we can to get our chips to the stores in your area. In the meantime, send us your Dad’s address and we’ll send him a case of chips to help keep that smile on his face. Happy Holidays…. ~Ric&Rick

Thanks William,

Until we ran into Hawaiian Sea Salt, we always thought that all salt was alike. Not so! Sitting on the beach in Hawaii eating corn still sits in my memory as one of the best. Hawaiian Sea Salt is great in all kinds of foods but seems perfect with chips. Check out the Saltworks web site for info on where you can find it.

   ~Rick & Ric

Thanks and that's great to hear! Jackson strikes me as a "Down to Earth - Salsa & Chip Eating" sort of guy. I guess there was some momentary confusion on our end as to whether or not you actually received all of the boxes, but we got it cleared up. We really appreciate your efforts and wish you tremendous success on all of your projects. There's simply no substitute for a community that has their hearts and minds in the right place. We will keep you posted on our end and I look forward to next year and perhaps having the chance to make the show. In the meantime, don't hesitate to call if we can help in any way.
   ~Rick & Ric

PS. Please send a program and poster (if there's one left). We'll put it on our wall as a reminder that the Earth needs our help, on land as well as on the sea, and that there are great folks everywhere that care enough to get involved.

I’ve worked for many start-ups and my hat’s off to you guys for bringing your vision to life in such a short time. As a kid, my family and I camped at Magdalena Bay. We saw the whales, swam in the water and have some great memories of a truly special place that many people have never heard of.

Thanks for the reminder that we all can play a role…
   ~Brian Levenson
      Santa Barbara, CA

Brian, I’m a potato chip lover myself, especially that new little number with goat cheese and roasted red pepper. In the interest of a more balanced diet, I’m glad to hear you’ll be adding some corn and Hawaiian Sea Salt..

Mag Bay is indeed a special place. I sailed through there in 1978 on a boat called Whistlewing. We were the lone anchor for one of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen. I watched for a while and then threw my board over the side and shared some great little waves with at least 5,00 By-the-Wind-Sailors, a somewhat harmless species of jellyfish. The Magdalena Baykeepers are doing some great work and we’re extremely honored that we could help.  ~Rick