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.
October 15th, 2023

October 15th, 2023

Our morning trip had the most incredible conditions today, it was completely glassy. We travelled 8.5 miles out of Mission Bay and came across 2 early morning humpbacks! We stuck with them for a while as they had short dive times, about 6-8 minutes. They were also...

October 9, 2023

October 9, 2023

We made some new dolphriends today! We set out to the west and endured some bumpy but fun seas! We sighted a huge pod of ~200 Long-beaked Common dolphins at the drop-off! They were racing to the north, following the contour of the drop-off. Many of the dolphins raced...

October 5, 2023

October 5, 2023

We had two incredible trips once again today and this time with a couple of humpback whales and hundreds of long-beaked common dolphins! Our afternoon trip set out the the northwest and first encountered a feeding pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins. Then up in La...