Dr. Gilmore Local Cetaceans Lecture San Diego Natural History Museum

A field-informed introduction to local cetaceans and pinnipeds, opening with remarks on the “California Great Whale” and observational tips for seeing animals from shore or small boats. Dr. Gilmore contrasts sea lions and true seals (visible ear pinnae vs. short ears; fore-flipper powered vs. fore-flipper “sweeps”), notes harbor seals as chunky, square-headed haul-outs, and moves into common nearshore cetaceans. He discusses naming confusions around “dolphin/porpoise”, the prolonged beak/rostrum in some species, and a “common warm-water dolphin” seen widely along beaches. Behavioral sections touch on social tendencies, occasional swimmer interactions, and the role of marine parks in public awareness. Communication is described as high-frequency sound signaling, while a later segment considers vision in water vs. air and how animals might navigate using shoreline, seafloor, currents, or geographic memory.

The lecture then surveys migration routes skirting the Channel Islands (e.g., Tener Bank, Cortez Bank, off San Clemente; “Carolina Island” as stated), suggesting a rising share of whales taking the island chain route—potentially influenced by boat harassment along the coast. Feeding ecology includes squid runs (odor/taste cues from decomposing squid), typical school sizes, and notes on reproduction in whales: consistent reports of single fetuses/calves (two nipples; no twin fetuses observed in this group by the speaker). Throughout, Dr. Gilmore blends shore-based identification pointers with migration, behavior, and local sighting patterns.