Shows
The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 104 - Spring Events & UpdatesThis week we took a little time to check in about all the things coming to whalenerds this spring. Our trips are filling quickly for spring whale watches in April. If you are thinking of booking - we recommend booking sooner rather than later! You can check out our site for more info www.thewhalenerds.com
We have also added a beach clean up to our calendar for Earth Day! Check out our website for more info or RSVP to our Facebook event for the clean up.
In other news - Slater & Adam will be i...2022-03-1127 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 100: Is It Hot In Here? - Climate News Part 1This week's topics were not really about whales, but we had plenty of announcements and whale sightings to catch up on to make up for it! After all of our announcements and reports, we talked about things in hot water. Our topics are about remnants of the warm water blob events in recent years that are still being studied and documented today. Many aspects of the marine ecosystem were affected by these warm water anomalies from seabirds, to kelp forests, and beyond. 2022-01-211h 01The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 99 - A look back at 2021Happy New Year! We took a look back at some memorable moments for us in 2021. Whalenerds as a brand and platform has grown so much, thanks to all of you! We can't wait to see what 2022 has in store for us.
2021-12-311h 00The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 98 - Unusual sightings in CaliforniaSlater and Adam had quite the encounter with some less frequently sighted killer whales in Monterey Bay. They shared their experience on the episode this week. This is also a great time of year to remind everyone of the places you can see whales from shore as they migrate down the coasts of the US and around the Hawaiian islands. You can also see elephant seals from shore in California as they enter their breeding and pupping season.
We wrapped up the episode talking about a recently announced unusual find off the California coast by MBARI - a Columbian mammoth t...2021-12-101h 00The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 97 - North PACIFIC Right Whales
This week we talked about the most endangered of all the right whale species - the North Pacific right whale. There are likely less than 60 of these whales across two populations in the North Pacific Ocean. We had some recent reports from NOAA about sightings and population estimates. We, of course, will keep looking and hoping that we see one someday.
2021-12-031h 00The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 96 - Indigenous Stories & PerspectivesWe hope this episode doesn't actually find you the day after US Thanksgiving - because you're doing something awesome outside. But if it does, take a moment to appreciate nature and show the planet your gratitude - it works hard everyday to take care of us. Our topic this week is a slight break from the norm. We decided to share some stories and perspectives from indigenous people in the Alaskan arctic. We also talked about a Yupik historic site in the Russian arctic. We felt it was important to share these stories with you and that they are mo...2021-11-2658 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 95 - Sinking Carbon Part 2This is part two of our two part series that started last week. If you haven't listened to episode 94 - you might find it helpful to go back and listen to that one first. This week we built on the idea of ocean carbon sinks and talked about this concept of Blue Carbon. We wrapped up this episode with a new article about how much food baleen whales actually feed everyday. Spoiler alert - it's totally mind blowing!
2021-11-1952 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 94 - Sinking Carbon Part 1This is part one of a two part series of episodes this week and next week. We talked about the oil spill that happened in California at the beginning of October. This led us to an article about a transient killer whale population that has been studied since they swam through the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. We wrapped up part one talking about how whales generate and promote life and how they can be sentinels for climate change.
2021-11-1255 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 11 - Thicker Than Water with Erica CirinoRemember Erica from Episode 56? She's back and her book is out now! We had a little chat with her about the process of her book and she did a reading for us from her new book Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis.
2021-11-0521 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 93 - Whalenerds Weekend RecapWow.
That's the best three letters we can use to describe whalenerds weekend. Our first in person event was INCREDIBLE. We couldn't have asked for better weather, better people, or better whales. In this episode we recap the weekend for those of you who could not be there. If you want to join in on the fun with us in the spring - we are hosting three single day trips on April 22, 23, and 24 of 2022. Join us aboard the High Spirits in Moss Landing, CA. More trip information can be found on our website at thewhalenerds.com/trips2021-10-2650 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 92 - The Lost WhalesWe are back after a week off! Everyone had great sightings since the last time we recorded and the excitement is growing for Whalenerds Weekend in just a few short weeks.
This week we talked about an article shedding some light on whales that were still killed by whalers even though they never made it to the ship for processing. It's an interesting and important aspect to consider when reflecting on the impact of whaling over our history.
2021-10-0156 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 91 - Right Whales Wrong TimeAfter our host updates from our daily adventures on the water, the nerds take you through the history of right whales. The most rotund of the baleen whales, right whales have had a tough go in the modern world. After their rebound from the whaling era, the population of North Atlantic right whales has begun to take a turn. We talk about a paper that goes through the NARW's history, population estimates, and threats they face.
2021-09-1758 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 90 - Talking StoryThis week we took a little different strategy than our usual episodes. Instead of talking about news or research we told some stories and talked about sightings past and present. We are so excited for the trip in October, we can't wait to make new memories together during our favorite time of year in Monterey Bay
2021-09-101h 01The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 89 - Listen InThis week we talked quite a bit about sound, mostly from the frame of humpback whales. We all have been listening to the MBARI hydrophone off and on this week (let's be honest, we listen to it all the time) and this is the time of year that the humpbacks start to making vocalizations that sound more and more like song.
We are so excited to have Research Specialist John Ryan from MBARI speak at Whalenerds Weekend next month! If you join the trip you can enjoy a dinner with him and Wil Oestrich, and ask them questions after their pr...2021-09-0356 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 88 - Dolphins preying on dolphinsWe had a special guest to go along with an incredible sightings report from Monterey Bay. This week Kate Cummings from Blue Ocean Whale Watch joined us to talk about all the action on the bay this summer. We are using her company for our trips during Whalenerds Weekend in October! To check out the trip and to make a booking please go to thewhalenerds.com/trips
Katlyn has had some pleasant sea conditions and plenty of humpbacks post Hurricane Henri but the report from Monterey Bay really stole the show. Slater, Adam and Kate witnessed a...2021-08-271h 17The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 87 - Going RopelessThis week we talked about the current state of ropeless fishing gear in the United States. Katlyn had a very interesting encounter on one of her trips recently that inspired this topic. Many strides have been made to improve fishing gear and make it safer for whales, but ropeless seems to be the way of the future.
2021-08-201h 07The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 86 - TursipopsThis week’s theme was bottlenose dolphins! We covered news and recent papers from all over the world. Information about behaviors, communication, reproduction, conservation - and even a little drama and potential scandal! Bottlenose dolphins are much cooler and more interesting than most people give them credit for.
2021-08-0654 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 85 - ¿Viva Vaquita?This week had an exciting announcement! Tickets for Whalenerds weekend are now on sale. You can purchase tickets for this event happening in October on our website thewhalenerds.com
Our theme for this week’s episode is vaquitas. A sad but necessary topic. We talked about some research updates and recent news in regard to the fishing free zone in Mexico. The plight of the vaquita should be a lesson for all of us. 2021-07-3053 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 84 - Killer Whale papers from around the worldReunited and it feels so good! Slater, Adam, and Katlyn were all back together for this episode. We spent a lot of time catching up and introducing a few projects that are in the works! Then we covered some new publications from this year about killer whales in the northern hemisphere.
2021-07-231h 09The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 83 - Fathoms with Rebecca GiggsWe had a special guest this week. Rebecca Giggs, author of the book Fathoms: The World in the Whale joined us for this episode. We talked about her book and part of her journey while writing it. The book is out now as an audiobook and hardback, but will be released on paperback on July 20th.
2021-07-1653 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 10 - Loneliest Whale with Josh ZemanWe were able to chat with Josh Zeman - the journalist and narrator of the new film The Loneliest Whale - The Search for 52 for this week's episode. The film is now in theaters and will be available on digital on July 16th.
2021-07-0913 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 82 - Special Guest Nick PyensonThis week we had the chance to chat with one of our favorite authors Nick Pyenson! We absolutely love his book Spying on Whales. We talked about the book often in the earliest episodes of our podcast. It is a great set of stories about his work over the years as a scientist and paleontologist. Spying on Whales is available as an excellent audiobook but also in print in stores and online. Here is a link where you can purchase a physical copy of the book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/556686/spying-on-whales-by-nick-pyenson/
You can also check out...2021-07-0258 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 9 - The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52We were granted early screening access to the new film The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52. This is a story that we have touched on briefly in recent previous episodes. The film does a great job of showing how field research actually works with large whales. Whether you have heard of the legend of the 52 Hz whale or not you will learn and thing or two and enjoy the film!
2021-06-2523 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 81 - Special Guest Tracie MegumiThis week we had artist and conservationist Tracie Megumi as a guest. We chatted with her about her work as an artist, and her work with Dolphin Project. Art, science, conservation are all things that we really believe should go hand in hand to reach the general public about protecting our oceans, and this was one of the main focuses of our discussion with Tracie.
2021-06-1744 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 80 - Flues & BluesEpisode 80 - Flues & Blues
This week Katlyn and Slater discussed fin whale / blue whale hybrids and blue whale studies from across the Pacific. There is always more to learn about these two ocean giants - including that they interbreed! Flue, a well-documented fin whale / blue whale hybrid in California and Mexico was a prominent feature of a recent paper, but they are not alone out there in the world. We also talked about our recent sightings from California and Massachusetts. 2021-06-1248 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 79 - Special Guest John CalambokidisThis week we had the chance to chat with John Calambokidis from Cascadia Research Collective. It was quite a long chat, but as you can imagine, we can talk about whales all day! John is one of the large whale research rockstars in the whale world. We had so much fun talking with him about his work with blue whales and humpback whales. It was so inspiring to hear John talk about conservation and threats to large whales and what we can do to continue to protect these incredible animals.
2021-06-041h 15The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 78 - Chatting Happywhale with Ted CheesemanThis week our special guest was Ted Cheeseman. Ted has worked over the years as a guide, expedition leader, and trip organizer for Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris. He is also a cofounder of Happywhale, a community science project for whale photo identification. We talked all things Happywhale with Ted and had so much fun chatting with him!
2021-05-281h 09The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 77 - All About Gray WhalesBuckle up! This is a long one. Who knew we could talk about gray whales for over an hour?! In addition to talking about our sightings, we covered a wide variety of gray whale topics. We talked about possible historic breeding grounds in the Mediterranean, Atlantic gray whales, vessel strike risk, migration pace in the North Pacific, and the final season report from San Ignacio and Magdalena Bay lagoons in Baja.
2021-05-211h 24The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 76 - News from the North AtlanticIn this episode we caught up on a few weeks of sightings from California for Adam and Slater and sightings from Massachusetts for Katlyn. We also talked about some on going news stories that we have been following from the North Atlantic. The killer whales and boat interactions off the coast of Spain and Portugal are still occurring and there have been guidelines published for mariners transiting those waters. There have also been some sightings of a gray whale in the Mediterranean.
2021-05-1445 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 75 - Tales from the Gulf of MexicoThis week we talked about some news stories from earlier in the spring with sightings of killer whales and a humpback whale in the Gulf of Mexico. We also talked about some general information about marine mammals in the gulf. Lastly we talked about a recent paper that came out on modeling habitats for cetaceans in the Gulf of Mexico. This was a fun break from the normal set of news and places that we cover on our episodes.
2021-04-3055 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 8 - Secrets of the Whales Pt. 2Secrets of the whales airs today! Here is a little teaser from us. Feel free to listen before you watch, but be warned there are one or two small spoilers in there. Let us know what you think of the series! Happy Earth Day.
2021-04-2316 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 7 - Secrets of the Whales InterviewThis is a special minisode! A little different than our normal routine. We were able to have a zoom call interview with Brian Skerry (photographer and story teller) and Raphaelle Thibaut (composer) from Secrets of the Whales. This 4 part series airs on Disney + on April 22, but is also a recently released book and next month’s National Geographic Magazine cover story. We are so grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Brian and Raphaelle and briefly talk to them about the series. There are a few spoilers in there! So fair warning. We also have previewed the entire se...2021-04-1418 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 74 - Sperm Whales and Manatees!In this episode we talked about a marine mammals species that we don’t talk about very often, manatees. We gave a brief overview of all manatee species and then focused primarily on the Florida manatee, a sub species of West Indian manatee. They have been in the new recently due to a large number of animals dying this winter in Florida in particular. We also talked about some updates with our hosts and a follow up on the sperm whale article we talked about last episode.
2021-04-031h 02The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 73 - Turning Emotions into AssetsThis week the main topics we talked about were focused on understanding human emotions while creating effective science communication strategies, conservation campaigns and understanding the opinions that influence policies and regulations. Human emotions plays a big role in the receptiveness of conservation messaging and policies. We discussed how important it is to consider this dimension when crafting our science communication. Southern Resident killer whales and their food web were a case study that we talked about. We also covered a few news topics including sperm whale cultural transmission of hunting evasion techniques and North Atlantic right whale calves.
2021-03-241h 17The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 72 - Soundscapes in the OceanIn this episode we had some ocean news including an article on cuttlefish intelligence, dolphins in the Potomac River and an update on the North Atlantic right whales. Adam is officially back on the water, so we get to hear about ocean adventures from all four hosts! We also discussed a recent paper on vessel behavior and humpback whales in Maui Nui, a summary paper on soundscape in the ocean and a recent paper on diet in Southern resident killer whales. Thanks for listening!
2021-03-171h 19The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 71 - The AnthropauseIn this Episode we discussed several articles talking about the research and observations that are coming out of the “andropause” that humanity has done during the COVID-19 crisis. Humans have shifted where they are in the environment during this time of isolation and crisis. What will we learn from this in regards to the environment? We also talked about our sightings and Slater is back on the water! There was some exciting/bittersweet news from the Pacific Northwest also - L pod welcomed a new calf recently.
2021-03-101h 02The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 70 - Clones, Fossils, Aliens Oh My!In this episode, we covered a few news items about cloning efforts with endangered weasels and whale fossils, because they were fun and new developments in science. We gave a recap of Whale Tales virtual event day 1. A lot of the talks were about whale songs, including a mind-blowing one from Roger Payne. More to come from Whale Tales in future episodes. We also had some updates on the status of North Atlantic Right Whale protections and an unfortunate update about one of the mom calf pairs from this season.
2021-02-2359 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 69 - What Do Whale Watchers Want? Virtual Events and Whale NewsIn this episode we covered a report that came out last fall about what whale watchers looked for in a whale watch tour operator, and their contributions to the local economy surrounding Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. We also had an update about the killer whales that have been attacking boats in the Canary Islands and a Gray Whale UME update.
We also discussed the new mask mandate from the US Coast Guard for all vessels. There are also some virtual events coming up based in Maui this month through Pacific Whale Foundation that you can check o...2021-02-151h 13The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 68 - Senate Hearings and Scientific PapersIn this episode, we unpacked a few more scientific papers as a follow-up to our conversations about the southern resident's killer whales. We also talked about the Senate hearings in Washington state that took place this past week about salmon habitat restoration and the commercial whale watching license program. We shared our thoughts on this frustrating situation. After this episode, we will be moving on from covering the situation in the Salish Sea so heavily and go back to covering it from a new standpoint. That way we can back to more of our regularly scheduled topics on our...2021-02-081h 18The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 67 - Update from San Juan IslandsIn this episode we checked in with our friends Sara and Jeff from Maya's Legacy on San Juan Island. We talked to them about what whale watching has been like since COVID started. Sharing a border with Canada, reductions in travel, and shelter in place orders have made life complicated and interesting for the boat based ecotourism operations in the Salish Sea. On top of all of that, there is a whole new set of regulations coming in to play for viewing Southern resident killer whales. There is a lot of misinformation out there about what this means for...2021-01-261h 13The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 66 - What's the cost?In this episode we talked about some whale news including updates on North Atlantic right whales, manatees, and upcoming conferences. We also talked about a film project that Adam was involved in and the Octopus Teacher. Katlyn also had a recommendation for the film I Am Greta on Hulu. We had some great discussions around the contributions of whales to the environment and how they contribute more to the terrestrial ecosystem than we originally realized. We also shared information about a new paper that was published in regard to vessel distance and foraging disruption in Southern resident killer whales...2021-01-211h 22The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 65 - Good News and Bad NewsHappy new year! We covered a lot of whale news in this episode. Some of it was good news and some of it was less good... We covered right whale news, whale watching regulations in Washington, blue whales and more!
We also have news! Katlyn is back in Maui. It’s been an interesting turn of events this fall with the Hawaiian islands reopening - so she decided to give it a try. We will keep you posted on how things go in California and Maui as the winter progresses. Please stay safe and healthy!
2021-01-121h 02The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 64 - Winter Whale Watching and MoreThis is our last episode of 2020. We answered questions that were sent to us by listeners over the past few weeks. We talked about where are good places to take kids whale watching, migration route and feeding ground changes due to climate change, camera settings that we use, and recent whale sightings. We also got off on a few tangents including some conservation topics and science communication.
Thank you so much for your support this year! Especially our patreon supporters have a great holiday season and stay safe and healthy.
2020-12-291h 07The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 63 - Where humans and whales intersectThis episode was packed with lots of whale news! We had all kinds of updates about right whales, whale calves, whales in new places, a new species of whale, and more. This led us to a discussion about how cetaceans and humans co-exist and how we can do that better.
2020-12-181h 16The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 62 - Reminiscing on the Pacific Northwest\This week we talked more about Adam’s background in his whale/marine career. Eric also just took a road trip up to Oregon and Washington. So we were all feeling nostalgic about our trips and times spent in the Pacific Northwest. We also talked about some recent pieces of whale news and our most recent sightings and adventures.
2020-12-061h 05The Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 6 - Meet Our New HostWe have an exciting announcement! We have officially added a new cohost to the whalenerds team. We want to introduce you to Adam Ernster. He has been on the podcast as a guest a few times with us but now he will be on with us regularly. Listen in to minisode 6 to hear more about him. We are looking forward to working with Adam and bringing some new momentum to whalenerds over the next few months.
2020-11-3018 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 61 - Recent Whale AdventuresIn this episode, we all checked in from up and down the California coast and Delaware! Katlyn is working a boat delivery on the East Coast at the moment. We talked about the boat delivery and recent trips in addition to some updated whale news. There was a cool match from the Southern Hemisphere from Happywhale, the orca attacks on boats near Portugal are continuing, and we talked about a call to action for a new proposal involving whale watching of Southern Resident Killer Whales.
Happywhale match: https://www.facebook.com/972752052758961/posts/3838778372822967/?d=n
https://h...2020-11-211h 03The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 60 - Special Guest Amanda PadillaWe had Amanda Padilla as a special guest this episode and Adam Ernster as a fill in co-host! We talked with Amanda about her work on boats in Maui, her commercial fishing business and her awesome new sun gear company: Kapa Sungear! We had a lot of fun on this one, and got in to some serious, but good tangents about sustainability, and sustainable consumerism and business practices. You can check out Amanda's company at kapasungear.com
2020-10-311h 08The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 59 - Slater's All Day Trip, Special Guest Adam ErnsterWe debriefed Slater's all day trip with three people who were there! Slater, Eric and Adam all gave a recap of the trip. Katlyn also chimed in about her trips. We also chatted more with Adam about whale watching in Santa Barbara. A piece of whale news that we talked about was the new paper and designation of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETPs) Killer Whales as a new ecotype of Killer Whales.
2020-10-241h 05The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 58 - The ReunionThe gang's all here! Eric, Slater, and Katlyn were finally able to get together and catch up with each other. We talked about our reactions to the film A Life on Our Planet and recent whale news. We also tuned in to the livestream of the R/V Nautilus online and watched them collect a few invertebrates off of Anacapa Island.
2020-10-171h 08The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 57 - Catching Up with SlaterIn this episode we caught up with Slater after several months. We talked about how things have changed for him in the wake of the pandemic. Katlyn also had a few updates from back when she was laid off and some of her adventures in Massachusetts including a recent trip to the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
2020-10-1051 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 56 - Special Guest Erica CirinoThe band is back together! We had Eric and Slater back on as hosts with our special guest Erica Cirino. Erica works as a free lance writer and artist who often covers and shares stories about wildlife and human impacts. She has sailed across the gyres of the Pacific and Atlantic documenting and studying microplastics and plastic debris in our oceans. She is currently working on a book that will cover some of her experiences with her trips and impacts of humans on the planet in regard to plastic debris.
We are recording from all over the...2020-10-011h 16The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 55 - Special Guest Jamie McWilliamsKatlyn and Jamie have been off the water for a few days due to poor weather. So they made a podcast episode together! As some of you know, Katlyn is out in Gloucester, Massachusetts working with Jamie at Cape Ann Whale Watch. We talked about how Jamie got started in the marine world, her involvement at the Texas Sea Life Center and her job at Cape Ann Whale Watch. We also talked about her favorite individual humpbacks and how whale naming works in the Gulf of Maine.
We did have a little technical difficulty with the recording...2020-09-211h 02The Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 5 - Welcome to GloucesterWelcome back everyone! After a hiatus we are back with a new episode. Thank you so much for sticking with us throughout this wild time. For our first minisode back Katlyn gave us an introduction to the new area she is working in: Gloucester Massachusetts.
2020-08-1818 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 4 - Hitchhiker's Guide to WhalesIn this episode Katlyn and Eric talk about all the common hitchhikers on whales and dolphins - we even threw in manatees!
We talked about whale barnacles, whale lice, remoras, pennella and the various species they are observed on.
The only obvious hitchhiker we forgot was diatoms!
2020-05-0740 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode3 - Whale Song Part 3This is the final episode of the three part series on whale song! This episode covers all mysticetes that sing besides humpback whales. While researching this episode, most of the journals had their articles on open or free access. Take advantage while you can! This may change back to pay walls once academic operations go back to "normal" post pandemic.
Stay safe and healthy out there.
2020-04-3035 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 2 - Whale Song Part 2Part 2 of the series on whale song.
Do we know why the winged whale sings? The long and short of it is, we don't. But Katlyn broke down some of the leading theories from over the years of what scientists have studied. This is a broad summary of some of the leading theories as to why humpback whales in particular might sing.
2020-04-1424 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastMinisode 1 - Whale Song part 1Introducing minisodes!
During this time we are not able to go out on the water - so we are launching mini episodes. These minisodes are more condensed information about one particular topic. If you have suggestions for topics - send them to us via instagram or facebook.
This first minisode is part of a three part series on whale song. This first part is: How whale song saved a species. Katlyn researched the historic timeline of whale song and when it was first made available to the public, and how the public reacted to it a...2020-04-0511 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 54 - Locked Down at HomeWe are all locked down and laid off! But we had quite a few sightings to report from all our trips before the shut downs. Slater did manage to almost get a full week in on his Baja trip before having to cancel it all.
We also covered a few whale news items. The partial birth of a humpback whale in Maui from February - the mom and baby we re-sighted! Six weeks later and both appear healthy! We also talked about killer whales chasing some sei whales in to shallow water in Chile, a dwarf sperm...2020-03-2449 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 53 - Special Guest Robbie MuellerWe had another special guest this week! Robbie Mueller has been one of our longtime listeners and was our first supporter on patreon. We are so honored by his support of our work.
Robbie was inspired by a whale watch trip he went on in Alaska and by listening to our podcast to become more involved in the field of marine mammal science. He is currently working on his Master's degree at Texas A&M Corpus Cristi and did an internship with AIMM Portugal last summer working with dolphin studies! He had a great experience out there...2020-03-1638 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 52 - Special Guest Robin BairdThis week we were able to chat with Dr. Robin Baird from Cascadia Research Collective!
Robin works primarily on odontocete species around the Hawaiian Islands. We asked him questions about his work, funding, past studies and how he got involved in marine biology in the beginning.
Check out his projects at this web address: http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/projects/hawaii
2020-03-091h 03The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 51 - We have some annoucements!Slater and Katlyn have some announcements to make!
Slater just launched his new apparel line: Open Seas Co. https://openseasco.com/
Katlyn just accepted a job for the summer at Cape Ann Whale Watch! She will be in Gloucester from mid-May to October. There are internship positions open if you want to join her out there volunteering this summer!
We also covered our recent sightings and some whale news on the following topics: ACS Monterey Bay meeting with John Ryan, Killer Whale sightings in Lebanon and Israel, stranded fin whale in Cornwall update, t...2020-03-0355 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 50 - Slater is in Maui!It was Slater's turn to come back to Maui this time! We had a great week of whale watching, snorkeling and island adventures.
We also went through some whale news and a quick recap of the Maui Whale Day events and Whale Tales Conference.
2020-02-2643 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 49 - Eric is in Maui!It's Eric's turn to visit Maui! He has had some amazing whale watch trips in addition to land sightings of turtles and chameleons! We also had quite a bit of recent whale news including an abandoned humpback calf in O'ahu and the recording of underwater footage of a partial humpback birthing event here in Maui!
2020-02-0749 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 48 - It's Our Anniversary!Wow! It has been a year since we started this podcast. Thank you SO MUCH!
This episode we talked about our latest sightings, some recent whale and ocean news, and whale snot!
This episode is also available via video format for our followers on patreon. If you want to see our antics while recording then join us on there!
patreon.com/whalenerds
2020-01-2457 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 47 - Can whales be derailed by solar flares? And other whale news!We had loads of whale news for this episode. Everything from dolphin by catch protests, solar flares in correlation with live strandings of whales to tracking whales from space via satellite. We also caught up on our recent sighings from California and Maui.
We also got a heart warming message on instagram from one of our listeners about how we have inspired her to pursue her cetacean aspirations. Thank you so much for the feedback! If you have been inspired to pursue your whale dreams after listening to our podcast, we want to hear about it!
2020-01-1647 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 46 - Happy New Year!We are all wrapped up with our holiday fun! Happy New Year to all of our listeners!
We all had a few whale watch updates from Monterey and from Maui. We also wrapped up 2019's journey as a podcast briefly and talked about all we had learned about whales this year! Nick Pyenson wrote a nice article for The Washington Post about all the cetacean discoveries we made this year that we skimmed through for you. We also wandered our way through other interesting sightings and updates.
The podcast turns a year old soon, and w...2020-01-0757 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 45 - Latest Whale NewsSlater and Katlyn gave a final update from Slater's visit in Maui. We also all covered recent sighting reports from Monterey and Maui.
The rest of the episode we talked about the latest whale news and papers.
Thank you all for following along with us this year! Happy holidays. Please have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
2019-12-2248 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 44 Special Guest Amber CaldwellSlater migrated to Hawaii! Slater met up with Katlyn in Maui to come and see the humpbacks in early season. We had a great trip together for sunset in Lahaina. We also attended at talk about deep sea corals. We also have a special guest Amber Caldwell. She moved from Monterey with Katlyn to work for Pacific Whale Foundation. This is her first whale season so we asked her about her experience thus far and her first sightings of the season in Maui.
Eric talked about his recent sightings and a talk he attended about the white s...2019-12-131h 05The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 43 - Holiday BluesWe are back after the holiday weekend. Weather has been pretty tough this week in Monterey so Eric and Slater haven't been out on the ocean too much lately. Katlyn was able to go out on snorkel trips and whale watch trips out in Maui.
Great humpback action in Monterey Bay when the weather is manageable. Whales are starting to arrive in Maui too! Pretty soon there will be loads of whales for Katlyn to report in on.
We also caught up on some of the latest whale news from around the world. Hoping the we...2019-12-0357 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 42 - Checking in from all over!Thanks for your patience during our hiatus! Katlyn is getting settled in on Maui, Slater just got back from San Juan Islands and Eric has been holding down the fort in Monterey but he did make it out to the Farallon Islands last week!
Listen in to hear us catch up with each other on all our adventures. We are starting to get in to a routine and we were successful with recording via skype so we should be back on a regular posting schedule soon!
2019-11-161h 03The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 41 - Special Guest Taylor SpesakWe had a special guest this week! Taylor came and visited for Slater's all day trip and then came back to record an episode with us. He started in Southern California, then Hawaii and then San Juan Islands. We chatted with him about his experience and how he got his start. He is headed back to Maui next week!
Eric, Slater and Katlyn had an incredible experience earlier this week with humpbacks during an earthquake in the bay too!
2019-10-211h 00The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 40 - Slater's All Day TripWe all went to Slater's all day trip! We had an awesome time with some great whale people. We caught up on recent sightings and a little but of whale news as well.
2019-10-1539 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 39 - Adam's Experience in the San Juan IslandsWe had Adam Ernster as a special guest today since Eric was out of town again! He gave us a run down of his summer experience in the San Juan Islands.
We also briefly talked about sightings in Monterey. Slater's all day trip is tomorrow and we are all going to be on it!
We also discussed the pros and cons of whale watching, new regulations in the Salish Sea, the use of drones and photo rights as boat crew.
2019-10-1158 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 38 - Eric is back!Eric is back from his trip in the North Atlantic! We heard all about his cruise through Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and Canada. We also all gave an updated sighting report from Monterey. We will all be on Slater's all day trip on October 11th - there are a few seats left - join us!
Katlyn FINALLY SAW CASPER. After years of poor timing, she got to see Casper twice in the same trip. Katlyn is also moving to Maui at the end of the month! She is taking a job at Pacific Whale Foundation...2019-10-0549 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 37 - Slater's Trip to San JuansSlater is back from his trip to the San Juan Islands! What an incredible two days he had for his group up there. Katlyn was holding down the fort in Monterey and Eric is still on his trip in the Atlantic. We chatted about some of Slater's take aways and reflections from his latest trip up north.
We also talked about some conservation topics and a little bit of politics toward the end - register to vote friends!
2019-09-2557 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 36 - Eric is on vacation!Slater and Katlyn are holding down the fort in Monterey while Eric is on vacation. We caught up on recent whale reports including Slater's recent trip on the whale entanglement response this week. Loads of blue whales have shown up this week south of Monterey!
We answered a question from one of our instagram followers. Katlyn also reported in on the law we referenced when we talked about Long Gone Wild called the Orca Welfare and Safety Act for the state of California.
Big thank you to everyone that has been following along with us! W...2019-09-1644 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 35 - Whale quiz, warm water blob, new species & more!We are back after a two week hiatus! We have been pretty busy with work and had a hard time coordinating our schedules.
We covered a lot of topics and sighting reports to catch up from where we left off in Episode 34. We took a whale quiz sent to us from one of our followers. We also talked about fossils, mola species, new beaked whale species, a ship strike incident in the port of San Francisco, marine debris and an update on the warm water blob event happening off shore.
2019-09-0859 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 34 - Sea of Shadows ReviewSPOILER ALERT! We talk about the new film Sea Of Shadows for most of this episode. If you don't want us to ruin some of the suspense, watch the film before you listen to this episode. We also gave our usual whale report from Monterey. Eric also had some info on an internship opportunity with Cascadia Research Collective.
2019-08-2048 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 33 - Humpback Whale UpdatesWe are late this week because Eric and Katlyn have been slammed with work! August is the busiest month in Monterey for whale watching and we have had such nice weather that all of our trips have been getting out. We had a few pieces of humpback whale news this week from California and Oregon.
Weather and whale watching has been incredible in Monterey this week. Get out on the water if you can! (anywhere really)
2019-08-1648 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 32 - Trivia Round 1We attempted our first round of marine mammal trivia. Please send us more questions so Slater can quiz us!
We also gave an updated whale report and some tips on what to do when you see an entangled whale in the US.
2019-08-0551 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 31 - Long Gone WildThis week we talked about the movie Long Gone Wild that just came out this month. We all watched it together last week.
We also gave a recent sightings report from Monterey.
Next week Slater wants to quiz Eric and Katlyn on whale trivia so send him some questions on instagram!
2019-08-0155 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 30 - Trip Reports and Dolphin QuestionsWhale action is ramping up in a big way this week in Monterey! We all had great trips this last week.
We had several questions about dolphins from our followers on instagram. Eric also found a cool paper about bottlenose dolphins and melon headed whales.
2019-07-2342 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 29 - Slater's trip to San Juan Islands & questions from InstagramSlater is back from his awesome trip up in the San Juan Islands. He had excellent weather conditions and excellent sightings! Eric and Katlyn had great trips from Monterey as well. Yes, Eric saw a leatherback sea turtle while Katlyn was out on the water... and she did not get to see it. :(
We answered a few questions from our instagram followers this week! We covered some topics about marine resources and news, hydrophones and our heroes in our field. We also talked about happywhale.com.
2019-07-1552 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 28 - Whales, Birds, and FishWe covered a little bit of everything in this episode! The day we recorded this episode was International Vaquita Day. The new film about the plight of the vaquita called Sea of Shadows premiers world wide on July 12th.
We gave a recent update of whale watching in Monterey Bay and some updates from San Juan Islands. The day this episode airs, Slater will be touching down in the Pacific Northwest! Sounds like all the Southern Residents might be back in the Salish Sea.
We also talked about some recent bird sightings in the harbor a...2019-07-0848 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 27 - Whale Entanglements & other newsThis week we talked about the 2018 whale entanglement report from NOAA in addition to other whale news. We talked about beluga whales being moved to a whale sanctuary in Iceland and the recent coverage of the narluga skull that was in the news.
We also gave an updated trip report from Monterey Bay - lots of humpbacks and dolphins!
Thank you to Robbie, our newest Patreon follower!
Send us your topics and questions on instagram @whalenerds.
2019-07-0148 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 26 - Killer whale sightings & thoughts on swimming with wild cetaceans We all had an excellent week of sightings this week! We have seen killer whales most days out in the bay. Katlyn got to see killer whales attack and chase Pacific whitesided dolphins. Eric has encounters with several different matrelines including some killer whales from the Pacific Northwest. All three of us were able to go on the boat together this week as well and watch two groups of killer whales socialize and even some mating behaviors.
We had a question come in about swimming with wild cetaceans this week - we discussed our thoughts after our tr...2019-06-2440 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 25 - Famous Whales and DolphinsThis week we talked about famous whales and dolphins, historical and present, from all around the world. We also gave a trip report from Monterey Bay. Eric and Slater had some great whales, killer whales and dolphins out on the bay. Katlyn taught middle schoolers about ocean animals this week from land too!
What famous whales and dolphins do you know about that we didn't get to mention? Send us a DM on instagram and let us know about famous cetaceans!
2019-06-1751 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 24 - Special Guest Pete from New Zealand!We had another special guest this week! We welcomed Pete on to the podcast - he's new to the Monterey area and has joined on as a naturalist and deckhand with a whale watch company. We asked him about his previous experience and wildlife tours in New Zealand.
Sightings in Monterey Bay have been excellent lately! Eric, Pete and Slater have had several great encounters with the CA 51's, a well known family of killer whales this week. Slater and Katlyn also participated in the Monterey World Ocean's Day Beach Clean-Up on Saturday.
Special shout-out t...2019-06-1045 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 23 - Slater's San Juan Island Trip & Eric's Rare SightingWe are a little behind schedule this week, but for good reason! Slater took off to San Juan Islands last minute this weekend for a quick trip up north. He had an excellent trip up there and got to see a rare young killer whale!
Eric also had an incredible and rare sighting of Baird's beaked whales in Monterey! Katlyn saw three blue whales last week too. Exciting things!
As a reminder the beach clean up in Monterey is this weekend, Saturday June 8th 2019 from 11:30am-1:30pm. World Ocean's Day is Saturday June 8th so...2019-06-0654 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 22 - Recent whale news and marine debrisThis week we caught up on the recent whale watching reports from Monterey Bay and the north bound gray whale migration which has been a re-occuring topic.
We also chatted about the issue of marine debris in the ocean. We have two solutions we are going to work on as the whalenerds: participate in a beach clean up and we are going to promote whalenerds reusable water bottles!
We have designed a reusable water bottle that will be made available for our patreon followers! If you subscribe to our podcast for a monthly fee, this w...2019-05-2754 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 21 - Special Guests Sarah and Jeff from Maya's LegacyWe had some friends visit us in Monterey for a few days! Sarah and Jeff from Maya's Legacy in Washington joined us for an episode during their visit. We all chatted about the trips they went on in Monterey, including Slater's All Day trip.
Sarah and Jeff shared a lot of information about their experiences with whale watching in the Salish Sea. They also shared a lot of information about the Southern resident killer whales and the new regulations surrounding watching them.
2019-05-201h 02The Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 20 - Katlyn's Trip to MassachusettsKatlyn is back from her trip to Massachusetts! The day she left there was a gray whale predation event in Carmel Bay which Slater, Eric and Katlyn all got to see at some point during the day. Slater got on it first on the boat and the Katlyn drove down to watch from land, when Eric got off work he went down there to check it out too!
While in Massachusetts Katlyn had great sightings of whales from a boat and on land! She got to see all the things on her wish list: Atlantic Whitesided Dolphins...2019-05-1434 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 19 - Gray Whale Predation and Other Whale NewsEric is back for this episode! He gave us the full report from the gray whale predation that he was watching while we recorded episode 18. Slater also had a great encounter with the 51's, 51A's, 49C and 50B this week. Killer whale season is ramping up in Monterey Bay! Katlyn's cool sighting for the week was the early morning salp invasion in Monterey harbor.
We had some random facts thrown in there about oarfish, salps, killer whale families, recent news about the beluga with a harness, and a few other topics. Katlyn takes off for Massachusetts to h...2019-05-0646 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 18 - Special Guest Eva Prendergast & Monterey Whale ReportWe had another special guest this week! We are also missing one host. :( Eric was still out on the water the night we recorded until sunset - he was watching the first gray whale predation of the spring season! We can't wait to hear his report next episode.
Slater had his first spring all day trip this past week and whale watching action around the bay has been awesome. Our guest Eva was visiting from the UK and went whale watching all week. She is working on her master's on blue whale genetics at the University of...2019-04-2955 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 17 - Adam's Best Whale Watch WeekWe had our second special guest this week! Adam Ernster, one of our podcast listeners has been whale watching in Monterey a few times the past month or so and he recently started a new job in Santa Barbara.
Adam claims that he had the best whale watch week ever last week, so we made him give us his trip reports to prove it! He did get to see Southern Resident killer whales, CA 122 transient killer whales, basking sharks and false killer whales. We must say - that was pretty awesome!
2019-04-2255 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 16 - Whale Watch Update, Killer Whales & SharksThis week we compiled trip reports from several places around the US that were interesting to us. Right whales in Massachusetts, basking sharks and killer whales in Santa Barbara, blue whales in Newport and all the fun in Monterey Bay.
Slater and Katlyn went to a screening of the documentary Mission Blue which Sylvia Earle was in attendance for! Eric and Slater also chatted about the new Netflix series Our Planet.
We talked about killer whales in Monterey Bay as the season is starting to pick up here. Eric also had the chance to see a...2019-04-1648 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 15 - Antarctica Report with Special Guest: Kate CummingsOur first special guest was Kate Cummings! She is the owner and operator of Blue Ocean Whale Watch in Moss Landing, CA. Kate was one of the passengers on the recent Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris trip to Antarctica! She gave us an excellent report about her two week trip where she saw whales, penguins, pinnipeds, and lots of ice!
We were so jealous after listening to her report! She had an excellent trip and the weather cooperated for most of the time they were there too.
2019-04-0859 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 5 - Weird Whale Facts!As we mentioned at the end of Episode 4 - here are the weird whale facts!
We went through as many lesser known whale facts as we could think of in this episode. We covered narwhal tusks, ambergris, whale lice, barnacles and so much more! This episode was super fun and we definitely have more fun whale facts to talk about in future episode too.
Have some whale facts you would like us to talk about more? Other topic suggestions? Let us know on instagram! @whalenerds
2019-02-1442 minThe Whalenerd‘s PodcastEpisode 2 - Marine Mammal Workshop, Rare Sightings and Manatees!This week Eric and Katlyn gave a recap of the Southern California Marine Mammal Workshop to start off the episode. We also heard from Eric about his recent trip to Florida to swim with Manatees. We also took a question from one of our followers about rare sightings in California / Eastern North Pacific.
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2019-02-0437 min