our researchOur ongoing studies currently focus on ecological impacts, population dynamics, behaviors, and human-animal interactions. Ecotourism has become an amazing platform for people to experience animals in their wild environment without promoting captivity. However, ecotourism is a fine balance of teaching the general pubic without overwhelming the animals and causing unnecessary stress. Our goal is to ensure that all of our encounters with wildlife, both above and below the surface, are as natural and stress-free as possible. We use our data to support a platform for research that is used to benefit human communities and whale, shark, and marine life populations.
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Follow us on instagram @think_about_our_oceans and @kels_sea14 @ttieszen, or facebook @thinkaboutouroceans to keep up on our research efforts and to learn more about how you can help.
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Ever wanted to freedive with sharks? Study whales in their natural environment? Swim with a pod of dolphins?
Join us on one of our upcoming trips! Contact us for more info.
Join us on one of our upcoming trips! Contact us for more info.
UPCOMING TRIPS
Dates & locations may change but these are the tentative research trips so far. We will update as we confirm.
March 2019 - Kona, Hawaii April 2019 - Monterey Bay, CA June 2019 - Oahu, Hawaii July 2019 - Monterey Bay, CA August 2019 - Kona, Hawaii September 2019 - Monterey Bay, CA December 2019 - Jamaica March 2020 - Silver Bank, DR April 2020 - Monterey, CA June 2020 - Hawaii September 2020 - Monterey, CA October 2020 - Guadalupe, Mexico November 2020 - Arctic Norway December 2020 - Hawaii |
Whale researchWe have been focusing on social cetaceans like spinner dolphins, orcas, and pilot whales. These animals have highly-evolved brains and emotional capacities, causing them to have strong family units and bonds with their offspring. Modern science has a difficult time describing and recognizing emotion, cognition, and social ability in these animals, but those are the aspects that fascinate us the most.
The more time we spend in the water with these remarkable animals, we gain invaluable data on family structure, social units, and emotional capacities. After the 2019 field season, we hope to publish a book with our full research and observations. |
shark researchWith sharks, we are working to gain appreciation for these predators, and help stop shark finning, shark culling, and unnecessary shark killing worldwide. Each year, up to 100,000,000 sharks are killed. At this rate, it won’t be long before we see an ocean void of sharks. As top predators, they are absolutely crucial for a healthy ecosystem.
With our diving and our photography, we want to find a balance between helping people overcome their fears of sharks that often come from unhealthy and unrealistic sources, and instill a level of respect for sharks as capable predators. They are not mindless killing machines, but they are also not puppies. In most cases, they treat us as another, almost equal predator in the water and go about their own business. We have to remain calm, vigilant, and quiet giving them the respect and distance they deserve, while observing their behaviors, personalities, and learning as much as we can. In a healthy ecosystem, we will see living coral, invertebrates, small fish, large fish, sharks, rays, and even whales and dolphins. All of these species must coexist together and survive in order to keep our oceans healthy and thriving. |
"The world is full of wonders, but they become more wonderful, not less wonderful, when science looks at them.”