(Gray whale, photographed by John Calambokidis)

They’re the whales we talk about the most, but orcas are not the only whales in our waters – increasingly, humpbacks and grays are turning up in Puget Sound too. Sometimes as beautiful sights – sometimes as tragedies, as with the humpback death south of the Fauntleroy ferry dock last August. Among the researchers and experts who came to the scene was John Calambokidis. One week from tonight, he’ll be the guest speaker presented by The Whale Trail in the historic building at Dakota Place Park (4303 California SW). Here’s the announcement:

“The New Giants of the Salish Sea: Humpback and Gray Whales Discover Our Waters”
Presentation by John Calambokidis
Thursday, April 20, 7:00 – 8:30 pm.

New research reveals insights into the return of two magnificent whales to the Salish Sea and the mysteries of their lives. Humpback whales who once roamed these waters hundreds of years ago have returned in spectacular numbers. See some of the new research documenting this return, why it has occurred and some of the implications.

Gray whales migrate along the Washington coast and some feed in outer coast waters but one intrepid group, nicknamed the Sounders, has discovered a highly profitable but very risky feeding strategy in northern Puget Sound. New research and underwater video taken by the whales themselves reveals their incredible feeding strategy from a unique perspective.

Join researcher John Calambokidis, a founder of Cascadia Research Collective who has studied large whales for over 30 years both in our waters and throughout the eastern North Pacific.

Buy tickets now to reserve your seat. And hurry! This will likely sell out.

About the Speaker

John Calambokidis is a Senior Research Biologist and one of the founders of Cascadia Research Collective, a non-profit research organization formed in 1979 based in Olympia, Washington. He periodically serves as an Adjunct Faculty at the Evergreen State College teaching a course on marine mammals. His primary interests are the biology of marine mammals and the impacts of humans.

John has served as Project Director of over 200 projects. He has authored two books on marine mammals (on blue whales and a guide to marine mammals) as well as more than 150 publications in scientific journals and technical reports. He has conducted studies on a variety of marine mammals in the North Pacific from Central America to Alaska. He serves as Project Manager of the Southern California Behavioral Response Study and has directed long-term research on the status, movements, and underwater behavior of blue, humpback, and gray whales. Some of his recent research has included attaching tags to whales with suction cups to examine their feeding behavior and vocalizations.

John’s work has been covered on shows by National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC, and others. In 2012 he received the American Cetacean Society’s John Heyning Award for Lifetime Achievement in Marine Mammal Science.

Tickets are available online – $10 general, $5 for kids under 12 – buy yours here.