The Whalenerd‘s Podcast

Episode 57 - Catching Up with Slater

In 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.

Episode 56 - Special Guest Erica Cirino

The 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 country via skype - occasionally there are some audio issues due to that.

Episode 55 - Special Guest Jamie McWilliams

Katlyn 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 - so about 8 minutes if the audio sounds a little different in the middle of the episode. 

Minisode 5 - Welcome to Gloucester

Welcome 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.

Minisode 4 - Hitchhiker's Guide to Whales

In 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!

Minisode3 - Whale Song Part 3

This 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.

Minisode 2 - Whale Song Part 2

Part 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. 

Minisode 1 - Whale Song part 1

Introducing 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 afterward. 

All the resources from this minisode will be posted on the facebook page.

Stay safe out there!

Episode 54 - Locked Down at Home

We 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 whale startled by a seal or sea lion and right whales and a harp seal being sighted from shore in Cape Cod.

Stay safe out there!

Episode 53 - Special Guest Robbie Mueller

We 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 and we got to chat with him about his internship. It went so well that he is headed back there this summer to work for a longer part of the field season as a research assistant. 

AIMM Portugal is still looking for interns this season. If you are interested in applying, check out the info at this link: https://www.aimmportugal.org/dolphin-research-internship