ACS-LA Across the Internet
Events
Make a donation
Current Cetacean News
Our ACS-LA Board posts current cetacean news on our Facebook page and the most recent articles can be found on this page. Keep up-to-date by coming back often! And if you are on Facebook, follow us!
American Cetacean Society - Los Angeles Chapter (ACS/LA)
Founded in 1967, the American Cetacean Society protects whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats through public education, research grants, and conservation actions.
No upcoming events
Commemorating 40 Years, Gray Whale Census
On Dec. 1st, 2024, Alisa Schulman-Janiger was recognized for her 40 years of dedication as Director and Coordinator of ACS-LA’s Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project by the Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes, John Cruikshank. The ACS-LA Board was joined by Census citizen...
2025 Annual Summertime 8 hour whale watch on the Condor Express
Painted Cave, Santa Cruz Island
Photo credit: Patty Farrell
2024-2025 Gray Whale Census Summary
Gray Whale Census Team with our whiteboard displaying our final counts for this season. Clockwise, L to R: Joyce Daniels, Ben Tyrrell, Terri Bidle, Gerrie Teague Cole, Carla Krysiak, Iva Maes, Gregg Gentry, Stacey Patterson, Erlinda Cortez, Kim Hoch, Cynthia Woo, and...
2023-2024 Gray Whale Census Summary
Photo of Alisa Schulman-Janiger at our Gray Whale Census location on the bluffs behind the Palos Verdes Interpretive Center. Photo by Dave Janiger. ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, 2023-2024 Update: we documented very low gray whale counts, few...
Our Partners and Sponsors
🐋 TOMORROW NIGHT, 7pm! Please join ACS-LA for “Listening to Leviathan” with Shane Gero, part of our free monthly ACS Speaker Series.
"What can sperm whales tell us about communication, culture, and the hidden world of the deep ocean"?
Join us tomorrow night for an engaging presentation with Shane Gero, Canadian whale biologist and Biology Lead for Project CETI, a groundbreaking interdisciplinary initiative working to understand and decipher sperm whale communication.
In 2005, Shane founded "The Dominica Sperm Whale Project" and has spent the past 20 years and thousands of hours alongside sperm whale families off the Caribbean island of Dominica. His research explores animal societies, communication systems, the origins of culture, and how greater understanding can inspire people to protect the deep ocean.
The Dominica Sperm Whale Project’s decades of research and unparalleled dataset on the Eastern Caribbean sperm whale community helped lay the foundation for the launch of Project CETI in 2020. Project CETI brings together marine biology, machine learning, robotics, and other disciplines to listen to and decipher sperm whale communication.
Shane’s work has been featured around the world, including in National Geographic and Disney’s "Secrets of the Whales". He is also Scientist-in-Residence at Ottawa’s Carleton University.
Come learn more about these remarkable animals and the fascinating world of sperm whale communication!
📅 Thursday September 24th at 7 pm on Zoom
🎟️ Click the link below to register!
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fFNFhSPvTWGeNBvfBV81rQ#/registration
Our speaker series is a collaboration between the ACS-OC, ACS-LA, and ACS-Monterey Bay Chapters.
Please share with fellow whale and ocean enthusiasts! ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
Who is that sperm whale? Our Gray Whale Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger is a coauthor of the just published Sperm Whale Photo-ID Catalog for the Eastern North Pacific and Eastern Tropical Pacific. This huge collaborative effort resulted in photo-IDs for 107 individual sperm whales! This includes 21 photo-IDs that came from images that Alisa had archived of 53 sperm whales, through citizen science contributions between 1984-2026, taken off California. Many local photographers contributed images that are featured in this catalog, as well as in resightings such as the 35 encounters with "Papaya" (SWSFC-133) - our most frequently documented sperm whale. Thanks to everyone who generously shared your invaluable images and sighting details!
PROJECT OVERVIEW: This study presents a curated catalog of 107 photo-identified sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). The majority were compiled from research cruises conducted by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) between 1991 and 2024, during which sperm whale photo-identification (photo-ID) data were collected. Additional photo-ID data were collected opportunistically by citizen scientists and naturalists working along the coastline of California and by the Grupo de Investigación y Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos in Mexico. The objectives of publishing this catalog are three-fold: (1) to create a publicly available catalog of sperm whale photo-IDs from the eastern North Pacific and tropical Pacific (ETP) to facilitate research collaboration and comparison; (2) to promote understanding of the distribution,
movement, and ecology of sperm whales in the region; and (3) to support the management and conservation of sperm whales under the U. S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the
Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Citation: Loomis, Kiku J., Paula A. Olson, Alisa Schulman-Janiger, Jay Barlow, Jeffrey E. Moore, John Calambokidis; Annie B. Douglas, Lauren A. Wild, and Sarah L. Mesnick. 2026. Sperm whales of the Eastern North Pacific and Eastern Tropical Pacific: Photo-identification catalog, 1984-2026. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWFSC-739.
You can access this catalog through this link: free download!
DOI.org/10.25923/fnn5-qf15 ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
What a day on the water! 🌊🐋
On September 12, ACS-LA welcomed 54 guests aboard the Condor Express for our annual Summertime Whale Watching Adventure in the Santa Barbara Channel. Guests enjoyed a breakfast buffet, beautiful views, and a full day of learning from our wonderful guest naturalists Tamara Mason and Matt Brady.
We had an incredible day of wildlife encounters, including approximately 1,500 short-beaked common dolphins, ~30 long-beaked common dolphins, ~190 offshore bottlenose dolphins, and a humpback whale that we watched for close to 45 minutes off of Gaviota. Through ventral fluke images, this humpback was identified through Happywhale as CRC-16457, with 20 encounters from 2010-2026, between Monterey Bay and Costa Rica! A second distant humpback whale and a small breaching whale (most likely a minke whale), were also spotted. Many of the common dolphins were incredibly active, leaping alongside the boat, bow-riding, and surfing in our wake; the offshore bottlenose dolphins were also very boat friendly. We also spotted a large ocean sunfish, multiple jellyfish, and a wonderful variety of seabirds.
But this trip was about more than an amazing day on the ocean, it also helped support the future of cetacean research. Thanks to everyone who joined us, we raised enough funds to support one ACS-LA research grant in 2027! We are so grateful to our guests, volunteers, crew, and naturalists for helping make this day possible.
A special thank you to our guest naturalists: Tamara Mason, a longtime ACS-LA and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Whalewatch Naturalist, Gray Whale Census observer, California Naturalist, and member of the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps - and Matt Brady, our avian naturalist with more than 20 years of pelagic birding experience, for sharing their knowledge and helping us appreciate the incredible diversity of life in the Santa Barbara Channel. Thanks also to our resident marine biologist and Gray Whale Census Director Alisa Schulman-Janiger.
Thank you to everyone who came along for the adventure. We hope to see you on the water again soon!
Photos courtesy of Colleen Carroll Alisa Schulman-Janiger Cathy Hachigian
🐋🌊
#americancetaceansociety #acsla #whalewatching #CondorExpress #santabarbarachannel ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
Identifying Whales at Sea: clues to help you figure out what species you are seeing!
*NOTE: This Australian government publication infographic focuses on whales off Australia and New Zealand. Off California - we see gray whales (not southern right whales).
GRAPHIC: Tony Pyzrakowski.
WEBSITE SOURCE: www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/cetaceans/whale-watching/identification ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
🐋 **JUST OVER ONE WEEK AWAY!** 🐋
Have you gotten your tickets yet? Join ACS-LA for our Summertime Whale Watching Adventure on Saturday, September 12, from 8:00 AM–4:00 PM!
Approximately one-third of the cetacean species found worldwide can be seen right here in our own backyard—the Santa Barbara Channel. Join us for an unforgettable day at sea!
We'll head out aboard the Condor Express, a jet-powered catamaran custom-built for whale watching. The Santa Barbara Channel is a nutrient-rich environment where steep canyon ridges force cold water to the surface, creating ideal feeding conditions for an incredible diversity of marine life.
Depending on what nature has in store, we could encounter blue whales, humpback whales, fin whales, minke whales, and a variety of dolphins, including common, bottlenose, Pacific white-sided, Risso's, and northern right whale dolphins, as well as Dall's porpoises. We'll also be keeping an eye out for California sea lions, harbor seals, elephant seals, and a large variety of seabirds!
☕ Your ticket includes a delicious continental breakfast served onboard.
🔬 Best of all, all net proceeds from this trip will be used to fund ACS-LA's 2027 Research Grant!
Meet Our Guest Naturalists!
We are very happy to welcome back **Tamara Mason**! Tamara is a returning guest naturalist who has volunteered with ACS-LA and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for over 10 years as part of their Whale Watch Naturalist Program. Tamara is a certified California Naturalist, and also volunteers with California State Parks. She has also been an observer for our Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project for 7 seasons. She is a member of the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps (CINC), a group of volunteer naturalists trained with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, part of NOAA, and Channel Islands National Park. During our trip aboard the *Condor Express*, she will be sharing information about the especially unique part of the Santa Barbara Channel we will be exploring. In addition, Tamara is a Naturalist with Cabrillo Whalewatch, sponsored by ACS-LA and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, as well as a Naturalist with ACS-OC. She has volunteered with the ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project and FLOW, a citizen science project that monitors ocean water quality near Huntington State Beach and Bolsa Chica. Tamara is also a former board member of ACS-LA, the Los Angeles Mycological Society, and the Long Beach City College Foundation–Fine Arts Association. She is looking forward to seeing everyone aboard the *Condor Express* in the Santa Barbara Channel!
We are also very happy to welcome back **Matt Brady** as our Avian Naturalist! Matt has been pelagic birding for over 20 years. With the warm water we have been experiencing, there have been a number of interesting birds in the area, and Matt is eager to see what's out there and help us spot them! As an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz, Matt learned the ropes in Monterey Bay and has since participated in dozens of pelagic trips throughout northern and central California. After earning a master's degree at Louisiana State University, Matt now resides in Ventura, where he has been exploring the waters of the Southern California Bight. When he isn't at sea, Matt enjoys birding coastal hotspots and desert oases.
There will also be cetacean experts and enthusiasts onboard to share their knowledge and help us learn more about the incredible marine mammals and wildlife we encounter throughout the day.
The Condor Express provides a comfortable and exceptionally smooth ride, with walk-around decks, a huge upper sun deck, a raised forward bow area, and plenty of opportunities to take in the incredible views and wildlife.
🐋 Come for the whales. Support cetacean research. Spend an unforgettable day at sea with ACS-LA!
Don't miss the boat—get your tickets today!
www.eventbrite.com/e/acs-la-summertime-whale-watching-adventure-2026-tickets-1989611415302?aff=od... ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fascinating look at dolphin fetal folds and hairy beaks! This very young bottlenose dolphin calf stranded (unknown cause) in July in South Carolina, and did not survive. The stranding response team shared this excellent post, which provides a close look at - and brief explanation for - fetal folds and for the hairs (vibrissae) found on the calf's beak: normal newborn characteristics. This very sad event provides a good educational opportunity; well-done! ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.2 CommentsComment on Facebook