Dan Olsen

Mom Knows Best: Killer Whale Culture

About the Speaker

Dan Olsen first experienced killer whales while teaching sailing for Outward Bound in the San Juan Islands in the late 90’s.  In 2004, he began recording killer whale calls while working as a tour boat Captain in Seward, Alaska. He was intrigued and consumed by the ability to identify pods by calls alone.  Dan became involved with the North Gulf Oceanic Society in 2006, and is now the Research Director, after pursuing a Masters from UA Fairbanks.  His current focus involves projects including diet (poop!) sampling and year-round acoustic detection, in addition to the long-standing catalogue of identified individuals and family groups, behavior, and spatial distribution.