SUFB 1220: Tracking Happy Humpback Whales

Published: Oct. 8, 2021, 4 a.m.

The one thing that I love about doing this podcast is the fact that I can talk to people who have done amazing things in Marine Conservation. Sometimes, people are supported by large organizations/companies that help them get on their way to launching these amazing conservation projects. Other times, the people start the projects on their own and create something really special. 

In today's episode, I speak with Ted Cheeseman who co-founded the site HappyWhale.com, a website that tracks humpback whales that have been identified by photos taken from citizen scientists from all over the Pacific Ocean. There are over 60,000 photos in the database spanning decades. 

Ted discusses:
1) Why he started the site with his co-creator;
2) How he builds relationships with the photographers and the scientists to study the tracks;
3) How Ted started his Ph.D. on tracking humpback whales, and, 4) How he would like to see Happy Whale be used in the future.

Connect with Ted:
Website: https://happywhale.com/home
Help Fund Happy Whale: https://experiment.com/social-whales

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue