The Whalenerd‘s Podcast

Episode 101: We Like Ice In Our Oceans - Climate News Part 2

We continued with our theme of climate news for this episode. Unfortunately it was not good news. Our topics mostly focused on how the arctic ecosystem is changing due to melting sea ice and less ice coverage in the region. Many animals are not handling the challenges of their changing environment well, but some animals like killer whales, are experiencing new habitats that they previously did not have access to. At the end of the episode we talked a little bit about solutions we can strive for and actions we can take to help reduce our impact on the climate crisis. 

Episode 100: Is It Hot In Here? - Climate News Part 1

This 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. 

Episode 99 - A look back at 2021

Happy 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. 

Episode 98 - Unusual sightings in California

Slater 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 tusk

Episode 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.

Episode 96 - Indigenous Stories & Perspectives

We 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 more than just stories. indigenous knowledge is rooted in living a life fully in tune with the cycles of our planet - a connection that still can baffle Western society. We encourage you to seek the truth of the indigenous people that originally lived in your area, honor them and learn a little about how they lived before colonial contact. 

Episode 95 - Sinking Carbon Part 2

This 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!

Episode 94 - Sinking Carbon Part 1

This 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. 

Minisode 11 - Thicker Than Water with Erica Cirino

Remember 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.

Episode 93 - Whalenerds Weekend Recap

Wow.

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/trips