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.
May 7, 2023

May 7, 2023

Sunday Finday! We had two great trips with sightings of Fin whales and Common dolphins! During the morning tour, we set out to the NW. We caught up with a big pod of ~100 Long-beaked Common dolphins cruising to the north. Out on the drop-off we sighted a tall,...

April 30, 2023

April 30, 2023

So far today we've encountered over a thousand common dolphins, 2 fin whales, offshore bottlenose dolphins, Molas, Velellas, and a brown booby. We've got one more trip that leaves at 5 with plenty of room onboard if anyone can get down here by then! We just got back...

April 29, 2023

April 29, 2023

We had a great day on the water! We had smooth seas and nice visibility! During our morning tour, we set out and found a feeding frenzy of birds diving in the water. We sighted a handful of Common dolphins out near the drop-off. Tons of By-the-wind-sailors were seen...

April 24, 2023

April 24, 2023

We had a FIN-tastic day! Right out out of the Mission Bay jetties, we encountered a small pod of ~5 Inshore bottlenose dolphins! They cruised up to us to bow-ride the boat. We encountered ~30 Offshore bottlenose dolphins near the drop-off too! They were very surface...

April 23, 2023

April 23, 2023

It was a bumpy one today but that didn't stop the whales! Our morning trip had a small nursery pod of long beaked common dolphins about 4 miles out. There were some really small babies in the group! We pushed to 7 miles and found a cow-calf pair of fin whales! We...