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Learn about Whales and Help Save a Life

Check out our new whale behavior visual guide! Dive in to discover the “why” behind the different behaviors you might see.

Learn fun facts about these gentle giants, what conservation efforts are helping to protect them, ways you can be a whale champion and more.

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humpback whale tail
Skylar Hanford

Skylar Hanford

Rescue & Response Dispatcher

Skylar joined The Marine Mammal Center as an animal care volunteer in 2021. In June of 2022, she was hired as part of the Response & Dispatch team. In her current role as Rescue & Response Dispatcher, Skylar answers calls for our California rescue hotline, coordinates responses in the northern range, and empowers and supports teams at field offices in their response work. 

Skylar has a degree in Biology from the University of San Francisco and conducted field research in partnership with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. Prior to joining the Center, she worked at California Academy of Sciences, was an assistant preschool teacher in San Francisco and volunteered as a naturalist at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. 

Outside of work, Skylar enjoys cooking, hiking, live music and spending time with her spoiled Siamese cat, Sutro.