One With the Cetaceans: An Interview with Marine Biologist, Lisa Steiner
BY DANA TRICARICO
Lisa Steiner is the marine biologist for Whale Watch Azores, and has been since 1988! WOS Editor, Dana Tricarico dives into what brought Steiner to this archipelago, and what she has learned in the field of marine mammal science along the way.
Lisa Steiner presenting a poster at World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona in 2019.
1.) I noticed that you went to the University of Miami (so did I!). What did you study there, and did you always know that your career trajectory would lead you to cetacean research? (P.S. Go canes!)
I was always fascinated by dolphins, probably from watching Flipper on tv. We went to Florida on a family holiday when I was young and saw the dolphins at SeaWorld (before I knew any better). After that, all my school projects were on dolphins or whales, except for one blip, I did one term paper on black holes!
When it was time to look for a College, I first went to see a small college in Northern Wisconsin, where I grew up, where I could study freshwater biology and play on their volleyball team. But then my Dad took me to Miami over the Christmas break and that was it! Miami didn’t actually have a marine mammal program, but the guy in charge of the Marine Science department was encouraging, so I signed up for the Marine Science/Biology double major. Unfortunately, when I arrived that fall, he was gone, replaced by someone who didn’t really believe in marine mammal science! But I persevered and went to see Dan Odell who worked at the grad school and he did teach 1 class on marine mammals for 3rd years. He told me I could wash manatee bones, from animals that had been hit by boats and then maybe I could progress to fish ear bones that had been found in stranded whales or dolphins. So I cycled out to the grad school in my free time and scrubbed manatee bones! The things you do to get into this field! Unfortunately, Dan left the University for Sea World and I never even got to take his class.
That was not the end of my story though, I convinced the head of the marine science department to give me a work/study job to set up a system to record the dolphins (in the back) at the Miami Seaquarium. Just as the digital tape recorder was set to arrive, I graduated! But seeing behind the scenes did make me realise that I did not want to work with captive animals.
My final year in Miami, the SMM came to town and I went in between taking exams and spotted a notice for a research assistant on a project in the Azores. I got in contact with Jonathan Gordon and the rest as they say is history! ☺
2.) Can you describe your current position at Whale Watch Azores and what brought you there?
Jonathan Gordon and “Song of the Whale” the research boat of the International Fund for Animal Welfare at the time, brought me to the Azores. I got the research assistant job and 2 hours after landing in the Azores, I was seeing my first ever wild dolphins! We spent time following and photographing sperm whales and I was very keen on the photo-id aspect of the research. I was asked to return to the UK and help with the analysis. So I spent the next 5 years spending half of the year in the Azores collecting data and half in the UK on analysis. When SOTW moved on to other projects, I became co-owner of Whale Watch Azores and ran whale watching tours in the same way the project had operated, at least to start with. I didn’t want the 5 years worth of data already collected to go to waste. Unfortunately, the company and boat were sold to a local company in 2010. I continue to work for Whale Watch Azores, under the umbrella of Norberto Diver now. From co-owner of the company, I am now just a whale watching guide employed 6 months of the year.
Fluke of Sperm Whale “2040” in 1995 and again in 2019. Notice how it hasn’t changed in over 20 years! This same female has also been seen in 2004, 2010 and 2018 in the Azores.
3.) Like any job, I’m sure there are good and bad days. Can you describe the hardest part of this job as well as the best parts of the job?
The worst part of the job is disappointing people. With the new management, if there aren’t enough clients, there is no tour. Sometimes there are clients that want to see a specific thing and if it doesn’t happen, I feel a bit responsible. The best part of course is being able to watch amazing animals for most of the summer, one way or another. “I” have made quite a few people cry with joy when they have seen a whale for the first time or something “special” happens on a trip. I have also given quite a few people their start in this field. I gave internships to Oliver Boisseau, Sonia Mendes, Ricardo Antunes and Luke Rendell, who have gone way behind me in terms of name recognition and research, which gives me a very nice feeling when I think about it.
4.) What research discovery have you been most proud of?
That is a hard one, because there have been a few! The thing I enjoy the most is finding out where the sperm whales go when they aren’t in the Azores. There have been matches of male sperm whales to Norway and the females move between the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries and more recently, the first trans-Atlantic match of a whale that was seen in the Gulf of Mexico in 2002, to the Azores in 2017!
5.) What’s your favorite whale or dolphin (whether it be a species, or an individual)?
I always do a little dance when I see 2 sperm whales that have been seen the longest. “19” was first seen in 1987 and “1019” seen in 1988, which was the first year that I was in the Azores. I am awed by the size of blue whales and the acrobatics of humpbacks. Dolphins will always make me smile when they come over to the boat.
A group of Common Dolphin cruising through the Azores!
6.) From your research and experience, have you seen a change (for better or worse) in cetacean populations at both a worldwide and local level?
I don’t think I have seen a change in the sperm whale population here. I do know that all of the sperm whale calves do not survive, but have yet to look at this statistically. Dolphin sightings have been down the last few years, but whether that is due to food supply or if they were being harassed by the swimming with dolphin activity.
7.) How can the general public be advocates for cetacean protection?
I think the general public is doing a pretty good job. Documentaries like Blackfish have raised the awareness of cetaceans in captivity. I think before that, many people believed what they are told by SeaWorld and other facilities that they are “protecting” the animals. If they go whale or dolphin watching, they should make sure they are using an ethical operator, that doesn’t harass the animals and hopefully is contributing to research through their trips.
This photo of a Risso’s Dolphin was taken on-board an ethically operated ship. Make sure that if you go on a whale or dolphin tour, you do your research to make sure that they treat these wild animals with respect!
8.) The marine science field can be a difficult one for those starting out. Could you give some advice to those in our Women in Ocean Science community who may be struggling to break into this field?
It is a very difficult field to get into currently. It was a bit easier, when I graduated, back in 1988! There are far too many internships where interns are paying for the experience, rather than being paid for their help. This source of cheap labour makes it hard for someone with all the qualifications to actually get a paid job. I would say if you can find an internship or volunteer somewhere, where you don’t pay for the experience, which gets your foot in the door, it could lead to a job. But if you do have to pay for a few experiences, make sure you are choosing places where you actually acquire skills, rather than just sit on a boat or enter data. Be willing to think outside the box as well. There are so many options: acoustics, genetics, entanglement, physiology or pathology that can get you where you want to be. Not everyone gets to be David Attenborough or Mark Cowardine. Also, don’t expect to make millions! Because there are so many people that want to work in the field, the pay is usually not very good.