information from the Whale Trail

Biologist John Calmbokidis of the Cascadia Research Collective speaks on the return of humpback and gray whales to the Salish Sea on Thursday, April 20, at 7:00 PM at the Dakota Place Park Building, 4304 SW Dakota St., Seattle. His talk is entitled The New Giants of the Salish Sea. The presentation is part of The Whale Trail’s Orca Talks Series and tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2921040

“John’s talk is an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest research on the health of these gentle giants who are returning to our waters, as well as the challenges facing all of the whales we treasure,” said Donna Sandstrom, executive director of The Whale Trail.

Calmbokidis will also discus the latest findings from the autopsy conducted by scientists on the juvenile humpback whale that died of starvation and washed up on Anderson Island at the end of last month.

About the talk:
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.

About the speaker:
John Calambokidis has studied large whales for over 30 years both in our waters and throughout the eastern North Pacific. He 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. He 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.

About The Whale Trail
The Whale Trail (www.thewhaletrail.org) is a series of sites around the region where the public may view orcas and other marine mammals from shore. Our mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of whales and our marine environment. Our overarching goal is to ensure the southern resident orcas recover from the threat of extinction.

Through our current sites and signs, including two on every Washington State ferry, we reach more than 50 million people each year. The Whale Trail is currently adding new sites along the west coast, from California to British Columbia, throughout the southern resident orcas' range and beyond.

The Whale Trail is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, headquartered in West Seattle.