The American Cetacean Society engages in educational, conservational, and scientific pursuits for the purpose of expanding scientific knowledge of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and related creatures. Services offered by the Monterey Bay Chapter include monthly meetings open to the public, featuring presentations about whales, dolphins and related aspects of the marine environment.

Proceeds from our events and fund-raising activities support marine mammal research, and the health of Monterey Bay, through graduate student research grants. If you would like more information on our grant history, or how to apply for a future grant, please email acs_montereybay@yahoo.com.

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*** VIRTUAL MEETING ***

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7 AT 7:00 PM

PRESENTER: HANNE STRAGER

TITLE: THE PERSECUTION OF KILLER WHALES AND

HOW ATTITUDES CAN CHANGE

JOIN ZOOM MEETING: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82767855274

MEETING ID: 827 6785 5274

The narrative of our relationship with killer whales intertwines love and admiration with fear and persecution. Across diverse regions and throughout history, killer whales have faced hunting and persecution, even culling. Marine mammal biologist and co-founder of The Whale Center in Andenes, Norway, Hanne Strager,
shares insights from her research in Norway and her book, The Killer Whale Journals. A decade-long persecution, where over 1,000 orcas were killed, concluded in Norway and Iceland just four to five decades ago. In both places, killer whales were targeted due to their perceived competition with the fishing industry.

Greenland still engages in the hunting of killer whales, primarily because they are believed to scare away or prey on seals and smaller whales, such as narwhals, which are desirable prey. However, a beacon of hope for species conservation emerges, as a shift in attitude is intricately linked to knowledge, communication, and a deeper understanding of their behavior. In Norway, a monumental shift in attitude has transpired over the last 30 years, with many Norwegians now taking pride in their local populations of killer whales.

Hanne Strager is a science writer and biologist from Denmark. She holds a graduate degree from the University of Aarhus in Denmark and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the late 1980s, she co-founded a whale research and interpretative center in northern Norway. She is the Director of Exhibitions and Public Engagement at The Whale, a new museum about whales which is scheduled to open in Andenes, Norway in 2026. She has also served as Director of Exhibitions and Education at the Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.

 

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