Hey, Rewildologists. I hope you’re enjoying the show’s minisodes as much as me! In case you weren’t aware, Friday, May 17th is Endangered Species Day and I thought we’d celebrate by bringing awareness to the largest species that has ever existed on this planet: blue whales! In 2022, I had the privilege of sitting down with Daniela Alarcon, a cetacean researcher in the Galapagos Islands. Excitingly, Daniela was part of the first team to successfully tag a blue whale in the Galapagos and her knowledge about the species is extensive.

In this part of our conversation, Dani discusses how her PhD project came together, the challenges of studying cetaceans in the Galapagos, pretty much everything you need to know about blue whales, and the questions she and her team are trying to answer to further understand this elusive and endangered species.

After you’re done listening to this snippet, dive into the archives and check out Episode 68 to listen to Dani’s full story.

Alright, friends. Please enjoy this enthusiastic, fact-filled episode with Daniela.