Welcome to Episode #8 of Planet People! In this episode, we interview killer whale expert Nicole Schriber, who studies these amazing whales as a marine biology student at UC San Diego. She also works as a naturalist specializing in orca research and educating wildlife enthusiasts who join the “Gone Whale Watching” boat tours in San Diego. The recent sightings of orcas off of Southern California prompted a personal investigation for Nicole. As she observed this specific pod of whales, known as the Eastern Tropical Pacific Killer Whales (ETP), she was able to collect data for her photo identification book while leading these tours. Her research contributes to an overall understanding of ETPs and beyond the data collection, her experience provided amazing stories for our audience to learn from. This interview is immensely exciting as she is at the forefront of research due to the orcas’ elusiveness in Southern California waters!

In addition to her marine biology experience in California, Nicole also spends time in Alaska during the summer leading glacier tours out of Hubbard Bay. While aboard these tours she sometimes observes orcas, further fueling her passion for whale watching and educating the world around her! She captured many of these sightings from Alaska to SoCal with her camera gear, which she provides details on during this episode.

Nicole shares her passion for these amazing animals through close-up encounters. She has had several encounters with individual orcas in the ETP pod and learned about their different personalities—she even had the chance to name a female orca! Along with stories, she provides us with fun facts about these fascinating sea creatures and what it takes to survive in a matriarchal animal world. From fun facts to truly riveting stories, Nicole’s episode won’t be one you want to miss!

Featured Guests:

Nicole Schriber @nicole.orcinologist

https://www.instagram.com/nicole.orcinologist?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Organization Handles and Information:

Nicole’s ETP Photo Guide: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ebcMKY7y_qk7nJ6kwbkgtWnkLIGTEsvpRNq01cWBD7M/mobilepresent?slide=id.g2a93adb05a9_0_34

Gone Whale Watching Tours

https://www.gonewhalewatching.com/

The North Gulf Oceanic Society

https://www.whalesalaska.org/

Happy Whale

https://happywhale.com/home

IG: @happywhale_official

Allen Marine Tours

https://allenmarinetours.com/

Intertidal Kendy @intertidalkendy

https://www.instagram.com/intertidalkendy?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Thank you for tuning into Planet People!

Welcome to Episode #7 of Planet People! In this episode, we continue our conversation from Ep. 6 with Amber Becerra, founder of Sol Sanctuary, Wildlife Protection Alliance, and former CEO of Marine Mammal Care Center. In this episode, we learn more about Amber’s eco-lodge and what it means to operate one through a sustainable approach to living among nature.

By defining an eco-lodge and coexisting amongst nature, you will understand how to differentiate between real and fake greenwashing tactics. Through this conversation, you will discover that greenwashing is rooted in colonialist methods that promote unsustainable development, which erases indigenous communities and local wildlife. By incorporating local knowledge in her best practices, Amber is an exemplary model of how one can learn to live the way the locals have for generations.

Beyond sustainable and communal living, Amber embodies the spirit of a planet person as she seeks to protect different Costa Rican wildlife, like Howler Monkeys, as she builds with the trees at Sol Sanctuary rather than clear-cutting them, thereby creating habitat connectivity. We get an inside look at how Amber works with local indigenous groups to protect these animals by building natural bridges for the Howler Monkeys to safely cross their tree canopy without being electrocuted by power lines. With so much clear-cutting happening regionally in Playa Grande, this conversation is more pressing than ever to understand solutions to best practices for protecting nature.

Amber is also the dedicated leader of the Wildlife Protection Alliance, with the slogan #RespectTheWildlife, which is at the heart of what we stand for at Planet People.

From best living practices at Sol Sanctuary to uncovering greenwashing tactics and protecting wildlife through her rehab center, Amber’s story is one you won’t want to miss! Her experience starting an eco-lodge and protecting Costa Rican wildlife is what this planet needs now more than ever.

Featured Guests:

Amber Becerra, founder of Wildlife Protection Alliance and former CEO of Marine Mammal Care Center

Organization Handles and Information:

To learn more about Wildlife Protection Alliance and Amber's retreat center, Sol Sanctuary, you can check out their websites & social media. Wildlife Protection Alliance (@respectthewildlife) at https://www.respectthewildlife.org/ and Sol Sanctuary (@sol_sanctuary) https://www.solsanctuary.org/

Amber’s book, Coastal California: The Wild Life. The organizations highlighted in this book are:

San Diego Humane Society-Project Wildlife @sdhumansociety

Marine Mammal Care Center @marinemammalcarecenter

Cougar Conservancy @couagarconservancy

Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO @samofund)

International Bird Rescue @intbirdrescue

Point Blue @pointblue_conservationscience

Project Blue @go.projectblue

Shark Allies @sharkallies

Sea Otter Savvy @seaottersavvy

Thank you for tuning into Planet People!