Upcoming Speakers and Events
July 9, 2025, 7 - 8 p.m.
Join us onboard the Legacy (at 6:30) and via Zoom
Speaker Series Program
with guest speaker Dr. Serge Dedina
About the Speaker
Serge Dedina Ph.D., Executive Director, is the co-founder and Executive Director of WILDCOAST, leading its international team since 2000 to protect coastal and marine ecosystems in California and Mexico. His groundbreaking conservation efforts—featured by The New York Times, BBC, and 60 Minutes—have among other things helped safeguard gray whale habitats and halt destructive development in the Baja California Peninsula. Previously, he co-founded The Nature Conservancy’s Sea of Cortez and Baja California programs, playing a key role in establishing national parks in Cabo Pulmo, Loreto, and La Paz.
A former two-term Mayor of Imperial Beach, Serge has also been a TEDx San Diego speaker and U.S. National Climate Adaptation Forum keynote presenter. He has received numerous awards, including the California Coastal Commission’s “Coastal Hero” Award, the Peter Benchley “Hero of the Sea” Award, and the Surf Industry’s Environmental Award. The author of Saving the Gray Whale, Wild Sea, and Surfing the Border, he holds a B.A. in Political Science (UC San Diego), an M.Sc. in Geography (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and a Ph.D. in Geography (University of Texas at Austin).
About the Event
"Saving the Gray Whale in Baja California"
About the Event
"San Francisco Bay Area Cetaceans: Returning Residents, Migrants and Immigrants"
August 13, 2025, 7 - 8 p.m.
Join us via Zoom
Speaker Series Program
with guest speaker Dr. Tim Markowitz
September 10, 2025, 7 - 8 p.m.
Join us onboard the Legacy (at 6:30) and via Zoom
Speaker Series Program
with guest speaker Domenic Biagini
About the Event
"San Diego's Chaning Cetacean Landscape: Observations from the Whale Watching Community"
About the Speaker
Domenic Biagini is a San Diego-based wildlife filmmaker, drone pilot, and naturalist with a passion for marine life. He is the founder and captain of Gone Whale Watching, a premier whale watching company in San Diego
Domenic's cinematography has been featured in major natural history productions, including NBC’s The Americas narrated by Tom Hanks, Apple TV+’s Big Beasts narrated by Tom Hiddleston, PBS's San Diego: America's Wildest City, and the BBC’s upcoming Blue Planet III. His work has also appeared in National Geographic’s Super/Natural and on Discovery Channel.
Through his daily experiences on the water, Domenic has developed a deep understanding of cetacean behavior and migration patterns along the San Diego coast. His insights, combined with his compelling footage, offer a unique perspective on the dynamic marine ecosystems of the region.
About the Event
Red Leviathan: The Secret History of Soviet Whaling
About the Speaker
"Ryan Tucker Jones is the Ann Swindells Professor of History at the University of Oregon. He is author of Red Leviathan: The Secret History of Soviet Whaling (2022) and Empire of Extinction: Russians and the North Pacific's Strange Beasts of the Sea (2014)."
October 8, 2025, 7 - 8 p.m.
Join us onboard the Legacy (at 6:30) and via Zoom
Speaker Series Program
with guest speaker Ryan Tucker Jones
November 12, 2025, 7 - 8 p.m.
Join us via Zoom
Speaker Series Program
with guest speaker Ted Cheeseman
About the Event
"New Science of Curious Migratory Patterns Among California's Humpback Whales"
About the Speaker
Ted is the co-founder and director of Happywhale, a research collaboration and citizen science web platform that is transforming data science for tracking individual whales. Ted recently completed a PhD studying North Pacific humpback whale populations, a broad collaborative study that leveraged AI technology to identify and track almost every living whale in the North Pacific. The study revealed a previously under-appreciated major mortality event where 1/3 or Hawaii’s humpback population was lost to the impacts of a three-year marine heatwave. Ted is particularly inspired to develop technology that fosters research collaboration, access to previously inaccessible learning, and building community around ocean ecosystems. When not studying whales, Ted is happiest anywhere wild, especially in surf or snow or on steep rocks.
Information About Attending In Person Aboard the Legacy
Before the presentation, join us for Happy Hour aboard the Legacy at 6:30 PM. You can enjoy snacks for $3, as well as a selection of beer, wine, and canned cocktails priced between $5 and $9.
Location wise, we'll be at the Legacy Whale Watch (sdwhale.com) 1717 Quivira Rd, San Diego, CA 92109, behind the Seaforth Sportsfishing building. Be sure to arrive early because we have someone waiting at the dock gate to let you through.
Parking will be available at 1717 Quivira Rd. (Seaforth Sportsfishing parking lot) or out on 'Quivira Rd where designated. Pleasenote that the neighboring businesses on either side of the Legacy parking lot are towing aggressively, so don't park in Seaforth Boat Rentals, Seaforth Marina, Marina Village parking lots, or risk being towed. Parts of their parking lot are marked for permit parking, so be sure to look for those posts.