TINY BODY, BIG QUESTIONS: A LOOK INTO THE LIFE OF BC'S SMALLEST CETACEAN, THE HARBOUR PORPOISE

British Columbia’s smallest cetacean, the harbour porpoise, is known for being elusive, quiet, and shy. Their small size and low profile make them easy to miss, and few people realize they are considered an at-risk species in our waters! Join Aaron Purdy to explore the biology of these “aquatic shrews,” and learn more about Ocean Wise and SIMRES’s research on these animals off East Point on Saturna Island.

Aaron Purdy joined the Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Research team in 2019 as the Coordinator of the Southern Vancouver Island Cetacean Research Initiative (SVICRI). Through community outreach, research, and education, Aaron engages communities around Vancouver Island to increase awareness of cetaceans in our local waters. He aims to highlight the conservation issues whales face and inform citizens how they can help protect these iconic creatures. Aaron spent several years performing marine mammal and other charismatic megafauna research and is an experienced marine educator.