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.
September 9, 2023

September 9, 2023

We enjoyed a beautiful day on the water! We set out toward the west on all tours and caught up with Short-beaked Common dolphins during the AM and Sunset tours! They were doing what they do best, and that’s breeeeach! They were launching out of the water all around...

September 4, 2023

September 4, 2023

We had a jam-packed trip sighting 3 species of dolphins! We set out toward the west and caught up with ~100 Short-beaked Common dolphins. They were on the mellow side but a handful were very energetic and were seen breaching and porpoising! We observed about 7...

August 11, 2023

August 11, 2023

The day was spent watching three different species of toothed whale and one baleen whale! We spotted both Long-beaked and Short-beaked Common dolphins on both of our morning and afternoon tours! We had small pods of 30 to 50 in each pod pop up around us as they...

August 4, 2023

August 4, 2023

It has been a FIN-omenal Friday! We enjoyed watching both species of Common dolphins, a Minke whale, and a Bryde's whale! We hung out with ~350 Long-beaked Common dolphins and ~250 Short-beaked Common dolphins in the morning trip! Everywhere we went, there were Common...