two sperm whales swimming together in the ocean

Events

ACS-OC hosts local events and free monthly webinars, featuring speakers and experts who will share their insights, passion, and work on all things cetaceans. Explore our events and RSVP!

Festival of Whales

Date: Saturday March 2, 2024

Mark your calendars now! Come back and see us at our ACS OC booths at the 53rd annual Dana Point Festival of Whales! Our booths will be located outside of Capt Dave’s Dolphin Safari (near baby beach), and Dana Wharf Whale Watching. Stop by to check out our whale artifacts and to meet our naturalists! We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Dana Point Harbor to celebrate the annual return of the California gray whales as they grace our coast during their annual, awe-inspiring migration.

Local Events

ACS-OC is a regular exhibitor at popular local events including the Dana Point Festival of Whales, Imaginology STEAM Fair, KelpFest, Earth Day at the Bay, and Prehistoric OC.

Festival of Whales

Date: Saturday March 2, 2024
Time: 10 AM - 2 PM
Mark your calendars now! Come back and see us at our ACS OC booths at the 53rd annual Dana Point Festival of Whales! Our booths will be located outside of Capt Dave’s Dolphin Safari (near baby beach), and Dana Wharf Whale Watching. Stop by to check out our whale artifacts and to meet our naturalists! We look forward to seeing you in beautiful Dana Point Harbor to celebrate the annual return of the California gray whales as they grace our coast during their annual, awe-inspiring migration.

Previous Events

Explore our previous events and view recordings.
Feb 2024

Guest Speaker: Dr. Kristin Laidre

The talk will discuss the impacts of climate change on Arctic marine mammals. Case studies will be presented on the ecology of polar bears and narwhals around Greenland.
Jan 2024

Guest Speaker: Dr. Deborah Giles

Dr. Giles will give an overview of Wild Orca’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Health Monitoring Program as well as a summary of collaborative research projects being conducted by some of the most respected names in wildlife conservation research. Together, these projects paint a near real-time picture of the health of endangered Southern Resident killer whales and provide timely data to the public and management agencies used to understand and address the causes of population decline.
Nov 2023

Guest Speaker: Suzanne Steinert & Kimberly Ovitz

Two chapters, two speakers, one amazing night celebrating all things beluga! Building community around Alaska’s critically endangered Cook Inlet belugas with Suzanne Steinert + Beluga ecology and conservation — Insights from transdisciplinary research in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic with Kimberly Ovitz
Oct 2023

Guest Speaker: Caroline Capello

Penguins serve as indicators of environmental change, sounding the alarm on overfishing, marine pollution, introduced predators, shifting ocean temperatures, and more. By studying penguins in the wild, we not only learn about the ecology of our changing planet, but we can use our observations to develop conservation actions that will protect seabirds, other marine predators, and entire ocean ecosystems. Join Dr. Caroline Cappello as she shares photos, stories, and lessons learned from her work with Galápagos penguins in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, and Magellanic penguins in southern Argentina.
Sep 2023

Guest Speaker: Lori Marino

Up until recently, twenty captive orcas were residing in North America. I will present the scientific evidence for the poor welfare of captive orcas and discuss and update the development of an authentic whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia by the Whale Sanctuary Project.
Aug 2023

Guest Speaker: Stephen Marsh

Since we last saw Stephen in January 2020, he has travelled by sea to the over a dozen global locations. What has he seen and what excited him most? Join us to hear stories and see his wildlife photos
Jul 2023

Guest Speaker: Robin Baird

The resident island-associated population of false killer whales in Hawai‘i was listed as Endangered in 2012. Despite a lot of research before and after 2012, little has been done to protect this population, and it has been declining steadily since.
Jun 2023

Guest Speaker: Steven Swartz

Steven Swartz will discuss the current impacts of climate change on the Arctic's seasonal marine food production and how that is affecting marine species like gray whales
May 2023

Guest Speaker: J. Michael Williamson

Professor Williamson will introduce North Atlantic Right Whales including their natural history, conservation status and current research. The effects of climate change on this species will also be discussed.
Apr 2023

Guest Speaker: Douglas Hoffman

Humpback Whales of Tonga and Maui
Mar 2023

Guest Speaker: Stephanie Norman

Beluga whales are smaller-sized whales that are very social and inhabit Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. They are rarely reported outside of this range. However, in October 2021, a lone beluga appeared in the waters of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and remained in the area for approximately a month. This presentation will describe the biology and ecology of whales; the case of the lone PNW whale; and current threats and challenges that face wild populations of beluga.
Feb 2023

Guest Speaker: Erin Gless

Southern Resident Killer Whales with Erin Gless! Learn more about these killer whales, what challenges they face, and what's being done to try to save this unique population.
Jan 2023

Guest Speaker: Dr. Cristina Castro

Dr. Cristina Castro is an Ecuadorian researcher and principal investigator for Pacific Whale Foundation Ecuador, where she has been leading PWF’s field studies on humpback whales in Machalilla National Park since 2001.
Oct 2022

Guest Speaker: Erin Keene

Biologist at MarEcoTel and Cascadia Research Collective - Fin Whales
Sep 2022

Guest Speaker: Justin Viezbicke

California Stranding Coordinator for NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program
Aug 2022

Guest Speaker: Sabrina Mashburn

Conservation Biologist, Executive Director of SoCal Sea Turtles
Jul 2022

Guest Speaker: Alisa Schulman-Janiger

Director and Coordinator of the full-season shore-based ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project.
Jun 2022

Guest Speaker: Jessica Crance

Bioacoustician, lead research assistant and project manager at NOAA/NMFS/AFSC Marine Mammal Laboratory
May 2022

Guest Speaker: Mark Girardeau

Wildlife photographer, creator of Orange County Outdoors
Apr 2022

Guest Speaker: Dr. Chris Lowe

CSULB Shark Lab Director, Marine Biology Professor
Mar 2022

Guest Speaker: Hilary Holt

Interpretative Ecologist, Catalina Island Conservancy
Feb 2022

Guest Speaker: Kirsten Donald

Marine mammal scientist, Director of Education at Pacific Marine Mammal Center
Jan 2022

Guest Speaker: Ted Cheeseman

Co-founder of Happywhale.com, and co-owner of Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris
Oct 2021

Guest Speaker: Dennis Kelly

Co-Founder and former president of ACS-OC
Sep 2021

Guest Speaker: Karen Baker

Professor, OCC Marine Science Department

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