Episode 35 - Alexandra Morton: From Whales to Salmon and Back Again

After the Breach Podcast

Joining us on episode 35 of After the Breach podcast is special guest Alexandra Morton. She has been called "the Jane Goodall of Canada" because of her incredible thirty-year fight to save British Columbia's wild salmon. She joins hosts Sara and Jeff to talk about her journey from whale researcher to wild salmon activist and back to whale researcher.

The episode begins with Alexandra talking about how she got started studying orca communication in California with killer whales Corky and Orky, sharing some fascinating stories from her time with them. She then discusses her move to British Columbia to study wild killer whales, including Corky's family. The conversation moves on to why she turned her attention to lead the fight to save the wild salmon these orcas depend on from the devastating impacts of open net fish farms and industrial aquaculture. Throughout the conversation she shares the challenges she faced, how she found a path to create change and begin the removal of open net salmon farms in B.C. She also shares a few ways people everywhere can help save wild salmon.

We conclude our conversation talking about what is next for her, including a return to her passion for studying killer whales. She tells amazing stories throughout the episode.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Alexandra Morton: https://www.alexandramorton.ca/
• Books by Alexandra Morton:
  • Not on My Watch:How a renegade whale biologist took on governments and industry to save wild salmon: https://www.amazon.com/Not-My-Watch-biologist-governments/dp/0735279667
  • Listening to Whales: What the Orcas Have Taught Us: https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Whales-What-Orcas-Taught/dp/0345442881
• Orcalab: https://orcalab.org/