Category Deep Dives

Home base for all my sometimes random, often purposeful, exploration of all things whales, water, and life related. Many of these posts will be source material and hoding places for the information shared in smaller bites in the newsletter.

By the Wind Sailors, Deep Dives, Marine Biology, Montery Bay Whale Watch, Velella velellas

Today’s Marine Science Rabbit Hole: Velella velellas

A Velella velella resting in the palm of my pale palm. The base is oval shape and deep blue base. Standing up from the base is its half-circle “sail” with pointed peak at the center. Its base is has radiating circles moving out from the center, below this is a deep blue edge that appears slightly fluffy or ruffled.

I finally got to see Velella velellas in the wild! In April I went whale watching three times in three days (it was awesome) and saw them on two of the trips. I even got to hold one! These small…

Kate Pennington
May 4, 2025

Blue Ocean Whale Watch, Breaching, Deep Dives, Humpback whales, Marine Biology

The Unpredictable Moments of Whale Watching

A very small black motor boat with a few people on board has a front row seat to a breaching Humpback whale, mid rotation - who rises from the gray-green water a few feet from the bow of the boat.

Part of why I love going whale watching is for the moments you can’t predict. We know that Humpbacks breach (aka fling themselves out of the water at speed, twist around and land on their backs with a huge splash).…

Kate Pennington
May 1, 2025

Deep Dives, Ecology, Humpback whales, Whale Watching, Whales

Humpback whales!

Humpback whales are my gateway drug. The first whale I ever saw in person was a Humpback whale – in 1987 off the coast of Province Town, MA. Then came Star Trek Four – the Search for Spock aka the…

Kate Pennington
April 7, 2025

Baskin Shark, Deep Dives, Marine Biology

Today in Marine Science studies: Basking Sharks!

Arial photo of a group of Basking sharks, mid-gray bodies with stubby pec fins and a triangular head that narrows to a proportionally small nose, swim in a circle in blue-green water

I attended a great virtual lecture this morning offered by the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust: The Basking Shark – The Road Back From Oblivion with Colin Speedie Many of us have heard about Whale sharks – which are whale…

Kate Pennington
March 6, 2024

Animal Identification, California Academy of Science, Deep Dives, Harbor Seal, Marine Biology, Online Classes

This week in Marine Biology studies: CA Academy’s online classes

Screen shot of the front page of the CA Academy's MArine Mammal ID class. There is a photo of a Harbor seal resting on the shore. there rest of the image is information found at the original page.

I discovered (and took) the California Academy of Science’s Marine Mammal Identification Master Class. It’s part of a series of 3 Marine Bio ID Classes that they did in 2021. The recordings of the classes are still available and still…

Kate Pennington
February 28, 2024