Marine Mammal ID workshop

July 17-20, 2025 Santa Barbara County

Just wrapped up the Marine Mammal ID Workshop at UC Santa Barbara’s Sedgwick Reserve—and what a way to spend a few days. We began at the Tipton Meeting House, where we were welcomed by Dr. Douglas Long and Dr. Heather Constable.
Sedgwick is a 6,000-acre research, conservation, and education reserve nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley. It’s one of the most expansive and biologically rich UC reserves. Fun fact: it was also the childhood home of Edie Sedgwick, the subject of the movie Factory Girl.
The workshop started with an engaging lecture on the evolutionary history of California’s marine mammals and a hands-on skull lab and ID test. I camped nearby in a quiet field visited by California quail and other wildlife. Though July isn’t ideal for spotting tricolored blackbirds, we were fortunate enough to see a female flock near the ranch house. Sedgwick is teeming with wildlife—from barn owls to red-legged frogs (one was waiting outside the bunkhouse), coyotes, mountain lions, and even three species of tarantula. The reserve also has a population of Southern Pacific rattlesnakes—including a resident named "Butch" that lives near the bathrooms at the meeting house itself.
The food throughout the workshop was a true highlight. Chef Nancy Gerbault of @AbroadCatering treated us to beautifully prepared meals each day—smoked salmon, fresh salads, fermented beets, strawberry shortcake, apple tarts, and more.
In the following days, we reviewed marine mammal beach necropsy protocols, practiced distance ID of dorsal fins, flukes, and spouts, and visited the @SantaBarbaraMuseumOfNaturalHistory for a behind-the-scenes tour. We kayaked Morro Bay to observe sea otters and pinnipeds at water level, then headed up to Piedras Blancas to observe elephant seals and other species in the wild. The final day was spent on the water with @IslandPackers spotting humpbacks, short-beaked common dolphins, sea lions, and more sea otters.
Huge thanks to @TheWildlifeSociety Western Section, @Ivan Parr, Dr. Douglas Long, Dr. Heather Constable, Andrea Dransfield of CICRU, Nancy Gerbault, @IslandPackers Cruises, and the @SantaBarbaraMuseumOfNaturalHistory for organizing and supporting such an outstanding workshop experience.
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