Vanessa James

Vanessa James

Born in New Mexico, a landlocked state, Vanessa's passion for marine life was ignited during family vacations to San Diego. Inspired by the rich marine ecosystem, Vanessa pursued their love for the ocean, volunteering at a local aquarium and later working at a veterinarian's office during high school. Their journey into marine biology took flight when they transferred to San Diego State University, where they earned a bachelor's degree in Marine Biology. Toward the end of her academic career, Vanessa volunteered with the Museum Whalers at the San Diego Natural History Museum and served as a board member for the American Cetacean Society-San Diego chapter. She also interned at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, interning with a marine mammologist digitizing journal publications to expand the access to older scientific journal publications. In addition to her academic contributions, Vanessa collaborated with a consulting firm conducting aerial surveys for marine mammals along the Southern California Bight and in Seattle, WA. Her dedication led to a role as a Marine Mammal Observer, where she assisted with seismic oil exploration activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska, and continued their work in San Diego monitoring marine mammal populations. For nearly a decade, Vanessa has been apart of San Diego Whale Watch, working in various capacities as a Naturalist, Ticket Booth Representative, and Deckhand. Today, she is training to become a Captain, solidifying her longstanding commitment to marine education, conservation, and stewardship. With a diverse background in fieldwork, research, and public engagement, Vanessa remains dedicated to understanding and protecting marine mammals while fostering a deep appreciation for marine life in others.
August 15,2024

August 15,2024

We had an amazing afternoon trip spent with Offshore Bottlenose and Short-beaked Common dolphins! We pushed out to the west and crossed the drop-off. We spotted some big splashes to the south of us! They were launching out of the water non-stop! We were so lucky to...

August 7, 2024

August 7, 2024

Wednesday, August 7, 2024 We hung out with some fun and energetic Common dolphins today! On our morning trip, we set out to the north, hugged the coast and caught up with a pod of ~100 Long-beaked Common dolphin! They were cruising to the north along with us. We left...

August 04, 2024

August 04, 2024

It’s a good thing the dolphins out there put on such a good show because today was absolutely packed with dolphins!Our morning trip got a special encounter with the crew favorite, Risso’s dolphins! This was a smaller pod of about 15 but they were so mellow and just...

August 01, 2024

August 01, 2024

We made some new Dolph-Friends today! We set out to the west and spotted a few scattered pods of Long-beaked Common dolphin! They were mostly traveling north, but we caught up with them and they were a so fun! We LOVE Commons! They are always around and super playful...

July 27,2024

July 27,2024

We had an awesome day full of Long-beaked and Short-beaked Common dolphins! On the morning trip, we cruised out and found a fun pod of ~200 Long-beaked Common dolphin traveling from the west to the east. The seas were smooth and glassy which made for some amazing...

July 26, 2024

July 26, 2024

We sighted a HUMPBACK WHALE & COMMON DOLPHIN! On our morning tour, we spent time with at least 4 different pods of Common dolphins! Our first pod was big pod of ~200 Short-beaked Common dolphin. They were slowly traveling to the NW. Once we caught up with them,...

July 25, 2024

July 25, 2024

We had a Thrilling Thursday with hundreds of dolphins seen on both tours! This morning, we cruised out to the west and spotted a huge pod of ~200 Short-beaked Common dolphins following the contour of the drop-off! They surrounded our boat and we watched as they surfed...