Beaked Whales with Bob Pittman

The Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance is presenting a really unusual and superbly interesting program on September 22. You will meet Robert Pitman, a guy who is the new Jacque Cousteau. He travels the world looking for and studying marine mammals, including these almost unheard-of creatures called “beaked whales.” In this talk, we’ll take a deep dive into their weird and wonderful world.

Although beaked whales (Ziphiidae) are common and widespread in all the world’s oceans, few people have ever heard of them, much less seen one. They are the least-known, large animals on the planet, and three species have never been identified alive in the wild. They are also amazingly diverse. With at least 24 described species, they represent one quarter of the world’s known cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises).

From 1976-2019, Bob worked as a marine ecologist for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service in La Jolla, California. He participated in over 170 scientific research cruises in all the oceans of the world, including more than 30 trips to Antarctica. He has published over 150 papers in the peer-reviewed literature and co-authored two editions of a Guide to Marine Mammals of the World.

Come to the Campbell Center, 155 High St., Eugene, on September 22. The doors open at 6:30. The program begins at 7:00. There will be a zoom link available on the CCBA website about one week before the event.

For more info, see Program Meetings