Internships: Monterey Bay Whale Watch and the California Killer Whale Project
Location: California's Central Valley.
Program: Summer Social Impact Internship (SSII) Fund
Major: Prospective Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Home: California
What did you do over the summer?
My internship includes taking opportunistic data on species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and killer whales) in Monterey Bay, California. This includes recording the species, the number of individuals, any behaviors they are conducting, and any other notes such as whether they have any propeller damage, the direction of movement, and whether or not there are any calves present.
Opportunistic data also includes taking identification shots, which includes the underside of the flukes for humpback whales, the dorsal fins of dolphins, and the saddle and eye patches of the killer whales. There is also a data analysis component to the internship where I build maps and data visualizations with the program ArcGIS Pro.
Why did you choose your internship?
The data being taken by these organizations has been ongoing since the 1990s, the opportunity to contribute to such a large long-term project was one of the aspects of the internship that was very appealing to me. Other reasons for participating in the internship was the opportunity to view and feel connected to the cetacean species of Monterey Bay. The chance I got to develop the skills of taking data in the field and analyzing that data via a computer program I was previously unfamiliar with was also appealing to me.
How do you think this opportunity will impact your career path, future goals and/or academic path at Princeton?
When I get back to Princeton, I hope my interaction with ArcGIS (which is often very frustrating to use) will give me the experience and confidence I need to interact with other computer programs and coding languages I might use in future research related to EEB. I also hope that the opportunity to take data in the field will be useful to taking similar data in the future, especially if I continue to pursue work in a marine system.
What has been most memorable for you?
The most memorable moment by far has been getting to see the Killer Whales. Killer Whales are relatively rare sightings among the other cetacean species, especially when compared to the very common humpback whales. However, I’ve gotten a couple of opportunities to view them, which has been incredibly special to me. Since they are more rare, each sighting also provides a unique and important opportunity to take data so we can understand and protect these wonderful and important creatures better.