Gray whale, photo credit : Merrill Gosho, NOAA
Killer whales are one of the largest and most majestic of mammals. Also known as the Blackfish in aboriginal culture, this grand creature is believed to be endowed with mystical powers.
The University of Winnipeg Department of Geography and the Richardson College for the Environment presents a public lecture by Dr. David Duffus (Department of Geography, University of Victoria) entitled From Ocean Gypsies to Circus Performers: A Tale of Two Whales as part of the 2014-15 Speakers Series on the Geographies of Water on Wednesday, September 24th from 7:00 – 9:00 PM, Eckhardt-Grammate Hall (3rd Floor Centennial, UWinnipeg). Reception begins at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcome and admission is free.
As top predators in the vast ocean ecosystem, whales challenge the imaginations of scientists and lay people to think big about the planet. Duffus has been studying gray whales on the west coast of Vancouver Island to illuminate this one species in detail, and will speak about how his work has taken him on a convoluted course exploring the human-whale relationship. Duffus was an advisor and on-screen participant in the acclaimed and highly influential feature documentary Blackfish, which was presented at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
UWinnipeg’s Richardson College is establishing itself as a centre of excellence in applied research and policy in the area of climate change, including climate change mitigation and adaptation. Working in co-operation with government, industry and leading environmental organizations, faculty and staff associated with the Richardson College are attracting research funding for projects that lead to relevant policy development and real world solutions.
