The Team

Liv Baker is the animal welfare research fellow at the Centre for Compassionate Conservation at the University of Technology of Sydney, Australia.

Giovanni Bearzi, President of Dolphin Biology and Conservation, Italy, has been studying and trying to protect Mediterranean cetaceans since 1986.

Maddalena Bearzi is President of the Ocean Conservation Society, and has been studying the ecology of marine mammals with a strong conservation bias since 1990.

Katherine Blais is the cofounder and Director of Elephant Health and Wellbeing for Global Sanctuary for Elephants. 

Scott Blais is the CEO and cofounder of Global Sanctuary for Elephants and of Elephant Sanctuary Brazil. He also co-founded the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

Samantha Berg worked for three years as a trainer of killer whales and other marine mammals at SeaWorld Orlando. She is co-owner of the Alaska Center for Acupuncture,

Attorney David Casselman has handled many animal related cases, including the highly publicized litigation over the premature deaths of elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Jean-Michel Cousteau is a dedicated advocate for the protection of the water planet, inspiring and educating audiences worldwide about the need to preserve ocean ecosystems.

From the freezing climes of Antarctica to the heat of the Amazon, Chuck Davis has worked for nearly 40 years as a specialist in marine photography and cinematography.

Catherine Doyle is the director of science, research and advocacy for the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), which cares for captive wild and exotic animals.

Dr. Chris Draper is Chief Operating Officer of the Performing Animal Welfare Society and sits on the Accreditation Committee for the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Sara Dubois is Chief Scientific Officer for the British Columbia SPCA, where she directs province-wide welfare science operations, education and advocacy projects.

Michelle Duncan is the Founder of Duncan GIS, which provides geographic information services to help people organize, analyze and visualize their data.

Oceanographer, explorer and author Sylvia Earle has served as a field research scientist, government official, and director for several corporations and non-profits.

Toni Frohoff is an ethologist and behavioral biologist who has specialized in cetaceans for over 30 years. She is the founder and Research Director for Terramar Research.

Pierre Gallego is a veterinarian specializing in marine mammal medicine. He is President of Odyssea, a marine mammal research and conservation organization in Luxembourg.

Samantha Goddard is Captivity Campaigns Officer of the Born Free Foundation and a member of the Dolphinaria-Free Europe coalition and of the China Cetacean Alliance.

Joan Gonzalvo is a biologist whose main research interest is the study and conservation of cetaceans. He is a member of the board of the Tethys Research Institute.

David Hancocks, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, specializes in exhibit design for zoos, botanic gardens, nature centers and natural history museums.

Terry Hardie is the chief field researcher for the Orca Research Trust, which works to protect orca and their habitat through conservation, education and scientific research.

Denise Herzing, the Founder and Research Director of the Wild Dolphin Project, is known for her pioneering studies on communication with free-ranging dolphins.

Michael Jasny is a Senior Policy Analyst and Director of NRDC’s Marine Mammal Protection Project and an expert in the law and policy of ocean noise pollution.

John Jett is a research professor at Stetson University and former marine mammal trainer at SeaWorld of Florida, has co-authored several papers on killer whales in captivity.

Ron Kagan is the CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society and an advocate for compassionate conservation, animal welfare, and humane education.

Curt performed the phase one site research for the whale sanctuary. He works around tugboats, sailboats and private yachts, as well as with shipbuilding companies.

Rob Laidlaw is Director of Zoocheck and has also worked for the World Society for the Protection of Animals, Toronto Humane Society and other animal protection organizations.

Captain Michael Parks led the search for suitable sites for a seaside sanctuary. He served as chief of marine operations for the rehabilitation of the orca Keiko.

Sandro Mazzariol is a veterinary pathologist and coordinator of the National Stranding Network in Italy. He has served as a member of the International Whaling Commission.

Michael Partica worked as part of the Back to the Blue project, which resulted in the successful release of two dolphins off the coast of Turkey.

Matthew is working with us to develop education programs for children, teenagers and adults. He is Community Engagement Officer for the UK organization Cats Protection.

Harry Rabin is a photographer/filmmaker whose career has spanned science, environment and public entertainment, with a notable strength in drone photography.

Dr. Heather Rally is a wildlife veterinarian with specific training in marine mammal medicine, currently working as a veterinarian with the PETA Foundation.

Carol Ray worked for three years training cetaceans at SeaWorld of Florida. She is the owner/director of three pediatric speech therapy clinics in the Seattle area.

Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara is a marine conservation ecologist and the Chairman and Director of the Tethys Research Institute.

Ed Stewart is the President and Co-Founder with Pat Derby of the Performing Animal Welfare Society and its 2,300-acre captive wildlife sanctuary.

Matthew Spiegl is an attorney, environmental blogger and ocean advocate with a focus on the health of the ocean.

Paul Spong is co-director of OrcaLab, a land based whale research station on Hanson Island in British Columbia, and president of the Pacific Orca Society.

Kathryn Sussman, founder of The Writing Space, focuses on animal advocacy and works with Zoocheck to help bring an end to the captive display of cetaceans.

Helena Symonds is Co-Director of the orca research station OrcaLab on Hanson Island, and a director of the non-profit Pacific Orca Society.

With expertise in environmental science and management, Gia has worked with more than 70 groups, including The Nature Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Courtney Vail is a senior policy professional, tactical advisor and campaign manager who has worked within the conservation and animal welfare field for more than 30 years.

Jeffrey Ventre is a medical doctor in Washington State who formerly worked as a marine mammal trainer at SeaWorld, spending eight years with cetaceans and pinnipeds.

Kimberly Ventre is a brand consultant, specializing in brand identity, marketing operations, conservation marketing and impact production.

Valeria's work since 2002 has focused predominantly on acoustic communication in beluga whales, first in captivity and later in the wild.

Hal's research focuses on social organization and cultural transmission in the deep-water whales, and on their ecology, population biology and conservation.