The WeWhale Pod

This special panel episode of The WeWhale Pod focuses on the problem of ghost gear in our waters and ways to combat it. Our guests are:

• Harry Dennis and Gavin Parker, co-founders of Waterhaul, a social enterprise based in Cornwall in the UK that recycles abandoned marine nets into high quality products
• Sophie Lewis, Interim CEO of the World Cetacean Alliance
• Tom Mustill, biologist turned filmmaker and author of How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communications. Tom is also an Ambassador for the World Cetacean Alliance.  

The panel chats about what ghost gear is and how it affects whales and other wildlife all over the planet. Every year, hundreds of thousands of cetaceans are trapped in ghost gear — lost or discarded fishing equipment that drifts through our oceans like a deadly web.
 
The guests also discuss the process of disentanglement and how changes in the fishing industry (namely a move to plastic gear in recent decades) have contributed to the global problem of ghost gear. 

In September 2023, a humpback whale became entangled in fishing gear in Algoa Bay, South Africa, and was fighting for his life. Thankfully, after a rescue operation, he was freed and able to swim away. The ghost gear was recovered and through collaborative links with the World Cetacean Alliance, made its way to Waterhaul, which saw an opportunity to create something unique from this near-tragedy.

A limited range of sunglasses, made from this recovered ghost gear, is available to purchase. You can check them out, along with more about the rescue operation, on the Waterhaul website. 

And learn more about the World Cetacean Alliance. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Patrick Dykstra, wildlife filmmaker and TV presenter, who has for many years travelled the globe, diving with whales and learning more about their behaviours. 

He tells us how seeing an exhibit of a blue whale at the Smithsonian Museum at the age of 16 inspired his love of whales and the ocean. And how he transited from being a corporate lawyer to becoming a wildlife filmmaker and TV presenter.

Patrick also talks about his work as a cinematographer on Blue Planet 2, and how he almost got hit by a humpback whale while filming! And he explains how his film, Patrick and the Whale, was prompted by a close encounter with a sperm whale in Dominica.

You can find out more about Patrick's work on Instagram. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Terry Wolkowicz, Co-Founder and Educational Director of non profit organisation Sound Explorations.

Terry, who is based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, talks about the educational mission of the organisation. She also dives into one project in particular, Whales in Motion: A Musical and Sculptural Experience for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

It combines tactile sculptures and live performance by musicians to facilitate blind and visually impaired people understanding and experiencing how whales move through the water and how they forage.

Terry also chats about the work going on in her local area to help Northern Atlantic right whales migrating off the coast of Massachusetts,  and the children's book she co-wrote with colleague David McKenzie called 'Right Whale, Wrong Letter'. 

She also describes having the opportunity to help researchers to tag humpback whales and how that experience deeply changed her.

You can find out more about the work of Sound Explorations on their website, www.soundexplorations.org. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is marine mammal biologist Dr Filipa Samarra, who is also the Founder and Lead Investigator of the Icelandic Orca Project.  

Filipa shares what brought her from her native Portugal to Iceland and talks about her journey to becoming a marine biologist. 

She also describes getting hooked on orca sound communication and chats about why we're so fascinated by orca as a species. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Naomi Rose, senior scientist (marine mammal biology) for the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington D.C. and marine mammal protection advocate.  

Naomi talks about her path into studying marine mammals and her particular love of orcas. 

As a co-author of The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity report, Naomi explains that the body of science has grown over the years about whales and dolphins, along with other marine mammals, that are kept in captivity. 

She chats also about the 'Blackfish Effect', which happened following the release of the groundbreaking documentary and her memories of visiting Tokitae, the orca who was kept for 53 years at Miami Seaquarium. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is David C. Holroyd, dolphin trainer turned animal activist. 

Manchester-born David shares the unexpected way that he became a dolphin show presenter and, soon after, a trainer in the 1970s. He also talks about the special connection he developed with two bottlenose dolphins, Herbie and Duchess, and why he has been campaigning for many years to make sure whale and dolphin shows around the world are shut down forever. 

He also explains the Atlantean mind connection with dolphins and what that feels like. 

David and his sister Tracy have written The Perfect Pair Dolphin Trilogy,  a true story and a damning exposé of the captive cetacean industry. You can buy a copy at the links below: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08XKLNF3Y?ref_=dbs_p_pwh_rwt_anx_b_lnk&storeType=ebooks

https://www.theperfectpairdolphintrilogy.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/search?query=David+C+Holroyd

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Billy Heaney, zoologist, wildlife presenter and filmmaker. 

Billy talks about his path to becoming a zoologist, his time spent researching grey seals in Cornwall, and his film 'In Search of the Killer Whale' which captures a pretty spontaneous trip he and two friends made to see orcas in the wild in Iceland. 

He also chats about his work with Whale and Dolphin Conservation's campaign 'EndCaptivityForever'. While dolphinariums have been closed in the UK since 1993, they aren't actually illegal in the country. The campaign seeks to make them illegal, meaning they can never happen again. 

Billy also talks about ending whaling and the need for more ocean sanctuaries for whales and dolphins. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Dr Vanessa Pirotta, wildlife scientist and science communicator. 

Vanessa talks about how the film Free Willy inspired her (and a generation of marine scientists) to get involved in working with whales. 

She also chats about the work she does with a citizen science marine programme in Australia and her fascinating research work focusing on whale snot and using drones. 

The conversation also delves into southern right whales and Migaloo, the famous albino whale! 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Finn van der Aar. She is a marine scientist, sustainability expert and bestselling author. 

Finn tells us about growing up close to the ocean in Ireland, her love of surfing (including an epic experience when a bottlenose dolphin surfed alongside!) and why she thinks we connect so deeply with whales and dolphins. 

She also talks to us about research into marine noise pollution and what can be done to reduce the noise, for the health and wellbeing of marine mammals. 

Finn also fills us on her upcoming book, a novel that's been informed by her real life experiences at sea!

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Hanne Strager, biologist, whale researcher and author of the recently published book The Killer Whale Journals: Our Love and Fear of Orcas 

Hanne tells us about her early interest in animals and also how she ended up volunteering to cook on a small fishing boat in northern Norway and how that decided what the rest of her life would be about. 

She also shares some of the insights and impressions she gained on her travels over the years to learn more about orcas and the relationships that people have with them. This included travels in Australia, Greenland and to the black market 'whale jails' in the Russian wilderness of Kamchatka. 

Hanne also talks about some of the close encounters she's had with orcas and the intriguing connection that humans have with the whale species. 

"They are mammals just like us - they live in family groups, they take care of their young, they are affectionate, they are playful," she says.

"There are so many things that I think we recognise from ourselves and still their life is just so different because they live in the sea - it's dark, it's cold, it's hard to understand what kind of life it is and that dichotomy that it's both something we recognise and it's something that's very foreign, I think is part of what makes them so intriguing."

Hanne's book is available now. You can find out more about Hanne's work on her website.

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Nadea Nabilla, Co-founder of Azura Indonesia. 

The initiative focuses on converting traditional Indonesian fishing boats to being 100% solar powered, which is more sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost effective than using combustible engines. 

Nadea, who first studied electronic engineering, is also a passionate advocate for our ocean, and has a huge love of scuba diving.

You can find out more about Nadea's work on Instagram. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Jennifer Lonsdale.

Jennifer is a co-founder of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), an international NGO that investigates and campaigns against environmental crime and abuse.

Jennifer has close to 40 years’ experience working in the field, particularly focused on and leading the organisation’s Ocean Campaign. In 2016, she was awarded an OBE for services to the environment, particularly the protection of whales and dolphins. 

Amongst the topics, Jennifer talks about how her early childhood in Uganda informed her love of wildlife, how she got involved in witnessing and documenting whale hunts in Norway and the Faroe Islands and how the investigative work of the EIA has helped to create public awareness and to effect change.

You can find out more about EIA's work on its website.

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Alex Lewis. 

Alex is a co-founder of Fins and Fluke, a cetacean advocacy non-profit established in 2012 which particularly focuses attention on the plight of captive whales and dolphins. 

Amongst the topics, Alex talks about how watching the documentary The Cove moved her to become an anti captivity activist for whales and dolphins and how social media is a valuable tool to spread the word about the plight of captive cetaceans. 

She also chats about how marine parks in the U.S. are seeing their entry numbers drop, as public sentiment continues to change. And she says, "I cannot wait to see them close their doors forever!"

You can find out more about Fins and Fluke's work on its Facebook and Instagram pages:
https://www.facebook.com/FinsAndFluke
https://www.instagram.com/finsandfluke/

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Femke den Haas, Indonesia Campaign Director for Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project.

Amongst the topics, Femke talks about being fascinated by dolphins and any creatures living in the ocean whilst growing up, her work with wildlife rescue groups around the world and the important rehabilitation and rescue work for dolphins taking place in Indonesia. 

You can find out more about Femke and her colleagues' work on the Dolphin Project website. 

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Our guest for this episode of The WeWhale Pod is Dr Mariano Sironi, Scientific Director of the Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas (ICB) and marine biologist. 

The Instituto is a non-profit organisation headquartered in Argentina with the purpose of protecting whales and their environment through research and education.  

Amongst the topics, Mariano talks about the Southern Right Whale research programme that began in the Peninsula Valdes in 1971, what drew him to working with whales and some of his memorable interactions with whales over the years.

You can find out more about Mariano and his colleagues' work on the Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas website.

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Marine biologist and science communicator Áine-lisa Shannon joins us for a chat in this episode of The WeWhale Pod. 

Amongst the topics, Áine-lisa talks about how she connected with the ocean growing up in the West of Ireland and how there has definitely been a lot more public awareness of ocean sustainability and cetaceans in the last few years. 

And why you'll always find her by the sea, whether that's scuba diving, kayaking, surfing (which she says she isn't great at but enjoys!) or just reading a book.

You can find out more about Áine-lisa's work on her Instagram page.

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Harry Eckman, CEO of the World Cetacean Alliance, joins us for a chat for the first episode of the WeWhale Pod. 

Harry is an international animal welfare specialist with more than 20 years' experience and has been CEO Of the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) since May 2021. 

The WCA is a non-profit organisation whose vision is "a world where cetaceans are free, where oceans thrive, and where communities care." 

Amongst the topics, Harry talks to us about his path into working in animal welfare and protection, the varied work of the World Cetacean Alliance, the greatest threats to whales and how we can work together to ensure they are protected and free in our oceans.

You can find out more about the WCA's work at worldcetaceanalliance.org

Find out more about WeWhale at wewhale.co and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.