Andrew Smith, Author at Whale Scientists

Andrew Smith

My name is Andrew Loyd Smith (He/Him), and I am pursuing my Master's in Anthropology at California State University, Long Beach.

I am a multispecies ethnographer based in California, focused on the co-creation of story aboard the whale watch between humans and cetaceans (especially dolphins!). I am working to show and share how the whale watch is not just a recreational activity, but in fact a meeting of intelligent minds.

My fieldwork is based on participant observation - I go whale watching for data collection! I am a certified wildlife researcher and human subjects researcher through CITI, and so often will include the data that I have worked with/collected over the course of my research in my posts. Happy to share!

Whales and Dolphins Uniting for Survival, Bounty, or Companionship?

Cetaceans like whales, dolphins, and porpoises form interspecies associations for predator deterrence, predator avoidance, foraging, and socialization. These behaviors can involve thousands in a pod, with practices like coordinated feeding and shifts for vigilance against predators. Such alliances may also have aspects like alloparenting and possible interspecies communication, showcasing complex social dynamics and cooperative strategies among different species within the marine environment.

Whales and Dolphins Uniting for Survival, Bounty, or Companionship? Read More »

A northern right whale… Dolphin?!

Did you know that sea serpents are real? Well, maybe not the traditional gigantic sea-living reptiles. But a first glance at the Northern right whale dolphin (Lissodelphis borealis) may leave you asking yourself, “What exactly am I looking at?” In this post, we will meet a funky little dolphin species from the North Pacific! Why