“Cetaceans of the Coast” is topic at Menlo Park Library on June 25

Meet the whales off our coast and in our bay, with research biologist Izzy Szczepaniak of Golden Gate Cetacean Research (GGCR) on Monday, June 25, at 6:30 pm at the Menlo Park Library.

Did you know that harbor porpoises only recently returned to San Francisco Bay, after an absence of approximately 65 years? Learn more about the variety of our local cetaceans, where to see them, and what you can do to help in the study of marine mammals in the bay.

GGCR is a nonprofit organization devoted to scientific research on our local porpoises, dolphins and whales (collectively known as ‘cetaceans’). Projects are led by a team of marine mammal researchers, all highly experienced in identifying and photographing cetaceans. The goal is to add to the body of scientific knowledge of the species inhabiting San Francisco Bay Area waters, and provide resource managers with the information they need to make wise conservation choices.

Izzy has been studying the harbor porpoise population off the local coast for over 30 years. He has conducted research on humpback whales in California and Costa Rica, and on bottlenose dolphins in Belize. He has worked as a naturalist for the Oceanic Society since 1982 and teaches classes on marine mammals at San Francisco State University and the California Academy of Sciences.