Orca Pub Talk

Orcas (killer whales) in their habitat.\Photo courtesy of National Marine Fisheries Service.

Social distancing takes some of the fun out of “science pub” events, at which people have heretofore gathered to socialize, hoist a beer or two, and listen to talks about science.  But the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) hasn’t abandoned the tradition, moving its “Science on Tap” talks online.  You’ll have to bring your own brew to quaff, but you can still listen to an intriguing speaker and know that others are joining you in learning and quaffing.

The next virtual Science on Tap event is coming up on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m.  Bob Pitman, a marine ecologist at the HMSC’s Marine Mammal Institute, will speak on “The Family That Preys Together: Killer Whale Studies in Antarctic Waters.”

Pitman’s description of his talk:  “The killer whale is an animal of superlatives. It is an intelligent, intensely social animal, whose designer paint job on a bus-sized body makes it arguably the most eminently recognizable animal that swims in the ocean. Outside of humans, it is the most widely distributed animal on the planet, and weighing in at 5-6 tons, it is the most formidable apex predator anywhere on earth. For this talk, I will first introduce you to the killer whale and its ways, based on decades of research here in the Pacific Northwest. Then we will cut to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, where I have studied killer whales for the past 20 years, and I will present a different community of killer whales that thrive in a most unlikely habitat.” 

To register for the webinar, go here.

To listen in by telephone: US: +1 971 247 1195  Webinar ID: 910 0334 3209 Meeting ID: 910 0334 3209