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Ingrid Visser

Ingrid N. Visser is the Founder and Principal Scientist of the New Zealand-based Orca Research Trust, which works to protect orca and their habitat through conservation, education and scientific research.

Since 1992, she has worked with orcas not only around New Zealand, but also in the waters of Antarctica, Argentina and Papua New Guinea, and has also contributed to orca research projects in the Kamchatka region of Russia, off the North American coasts of Washington, Alaska and British Colombia, and in the waters of Iceland, where she worked with the Keiko project.

Ingrid’s work has appeared in various magazines and on numerous TV documentaries. she is also the author of two children’s books and an autobiography, Swimming with Orca .

She is also a co-founder of the Free Morgan Foundation , working to raise awareness of the plight of the killer whale Morgan, who is currently being held captive and used commercially at the entertainment theme park Loro Parque, in Spain.

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Dr. Ingrid N. Visser – Whale Rescue Co-Founder

Ingrid has attended numerous mass and individual strandings.  She is experienced in sampling and data collection at these events, and in the use of refloatation Rescue Pontoons and other rescue equipment.  She has served on the Board and was a trainer for another stranding rescue group.

Ingrid began studying NZ orca in 1992, going on to complete the first and only PhD dissertation on this population.  Since then, Ingrid has become an internationally-acclaimed authority on orca, having established research projects and studied orca in Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Iceland, Antarctica, Russia, North America and, not least of all, NZ.  Ingrid founded and to this day still runs the Orca Research Trust, Adopt-an-Orca, AKWIC (Antarctica Killer Whale Identification Catalogue), Punta Norte Orca Research, and Papua New Guinea Orca Research.

She is an accomplished wildlife photographer, as her many awards attest to, a PADI Dive Instructor, and a commercial skipper.  Ingrid has been instrumental in introducing the public to wild orca and their lives through her countless TV appearances, starring roles in documentaries, and popular articles in magazines, not to mention her two children’s books and autobiography.  She has published a multitude of scientific manuscripts in peer reviewed journals, along with presenting talks and posters at marine mammal conferences throughout the world.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. ingrid visser – president (chair).

Dr Ingrid Visser (New Zealand) is a co-founder of Global Orca Charity, Dolphinaria-Free Europe, Orca Research Trust and the Free Morgan Foundation. She has researched wild cetaceans for 30 years. Her work has featured in documentaries with Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, BBC, National Geographic and others. She has observed captive cetaceans in facilities around the world and she noted welfare concerns at each location. Governments (e.g., Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America) and large tourism corporations (such as TripAdvisor and Expedia) have requested Dr Visser’s input on captive cetacean issues. The actions taken by these entities have included implementation of legislation as well as the phasing out of promoting and selling tickets to captive cetacean facilities.

Terry Hardie - Treasurer

Terry Hardie (USA) is a trustee and field researcher for the New Zealand-based Orca Research Trust. He is also a co-founder of the Global Orca Charity and the Free Morgan Foundation. Terry assisted with the Keiko project and is passionate about orca.  He has also helped to expose wrong doings at a dolphinarium in Europe, which resulted in the enactment of a law in Switzerland, banning the keeping of cetaceans in captivity. With his background in computer sciences, Terry was the founder of one of the first publicly accessible email companies in New Zealand. His skills in the electronic/IT arena make him a valuable asset to a number of orca research projects.

Matthew Spiegl - Secretary

Matthew Spiegl (USA) is an environmental attorney in California. His legal practice focuses on International and EU wildlife trade regulations involving captive orcas. He is a co-founder of the Global Orca Charity and presently serves as legal counsel & policy advisor and board member for the Free Morgan Foundation. Matthew’s professional credentials include publication in Review of European Comparative and International Environmental Law (RECIEL), and membership in the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) with appointments to the WCEL’s Ocean Law and Climate Change Law Specialist Groups for the 2021-2025 quadrennial session.

Janek Andre

Janek Andre, originally from Germany and now residing in southern Spain, the natural habitat of the Iberian orca, is a passionate advocate for whales and dolphins as well as an entrepreneur committed to marine conservation.  He is the initiator of the ‘Save The Iberian Orca’ Campaign to safeguard the critically endangered Iberian orca population. As the founder and CEO of WeWhale, Janek leads an organization that offers respectful whale-watching experiences, ensuring that conservation and responsible tourism go hand in hand. His work further focuses on defending the rights of cetaceans in the areas where WeWhale operates with its own boats (currently: Barbate, Sotogrande, Denia, Lanzarote and Tenerife – all in Spain).

Daniel Azarian

Daniel Azarian (USA) is an award-winning director, producer, and creative director of branded content and entertainment based in New York. As a director, Daniel has helmed national television spots for blue-chip brands and branding for clients such as 3M, Horizon Organic, Netflix, and The Drew Barrymore Show. He produced the “Save Lolita” PSA and the documentary short “A Day in the Life of Lolita, the Performing Orca,” featuring Dr. Ingrid Visser. As a creative director, Daniel is committed to utilizing his skills and expertise to positively impact the lives of animals in need, namely killer whales. He aims to raise awareness and advocate for animal welfare among a mainstream audience.

Natalie Barefoot

Natalie Barefoot (USA) is an international oceans attorney based in California who believes that legal protections should be earth-oriented, community-inspired, and respect all living beings. By focusing legal strategies through the lens of keystone species, such as sharks and cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), Natalie advances protections for wildlife and their ocean habitats. She currently tackles international ocean issues as a senior attorney with Earthjustice and she is the founder and Executive Director of Cet Law. Natalie is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL), and she has been a trusted advisor to the Free Morgan Foundation. Her previous work has taken her to five continents as an attorney with the United Nations Environment Program, University of Miami School of Law, and Hogan Lovells.

Alfonso Carrillo

Alfonso Carrillo (Spain) is an attorney based in Madrid. His legal practice focuses on dispute resolution. Among other cases, he has advised NGOs on animal welfare dispute cases, in particular captive marine cetaceans, also defending NGOs against court claims for damages for infringement of the right to honor.

Jorge Cazenave

Jorge Cazenave (Argentina) abandoned his law practice and has been a researcher for Punta Norte Orca Research for 15 years and is now its president. He has collaborated with Conservation Land Trust, Fundacion Vida Silvestre among other NGOs. He is currently a board member of Aves Argentinas and President of Fundación We Are Wildlife, both institutions involved in wildlife conservation. Jorge is a co-author of several scientific publications about orca, including “Contributions to the global management and conservation of marine mammals,” and he has also helped in translation of critical documents in sensitive orca captivity issues.

Geneviève Douyon

Originally from Montreal, Geneviève Douyon grew up in the Cree Nation of Chisasibi in Quebec’s North, where her parents were medical professionals. She serves as the clinic officer for Veterinarians Without Borders, overseeing the Northern Animal Health Initiative (NAHI), a program dedicated to improving the health and welfare of animals in Indigenous remote communities of North America. Geneviève holds a strong interest in marine mammal medicine, particularly cetaceans.

Diane Fraleigh

Joe Kennedy

Joe Kennedy (Canada) is a natural history documentary filmmaker, with an interest in conservation, environment and animal behavior films. His company, TMF Media, is based in Vancouver. He has worked in this field since 1988, first for the BBC Natural History Unit, then in the independent filmmaking sector. Broadcasters have commissioned his productions worldwide. He works as a researcher, producer, director, writer and cameraman. His interests are broad and cover both marine and terrestrial subjects. Marine-based film credits include Killer Whale Special (BBC); Killer Whales: The Mega Hunt (Animal Planet); Sharkman (Discovery); Ocean Voyagers (Animal Planet); Great White Shark: A Living Legend (BBC); Squid vs. Whale (National Geographic); Shark Kill Zone (National Geographic); Secret Shark Pits (National Geographic)

Kaarina Makowski

Kaarina Makowski (USA) is based in the State of Washington and has been a long-time volunteer videographer for cetacean-related events held in western Washington. She recently started working for Orca Network. She is an artist, photographer, writer, video editor, plus web & graphic designer who has done numerous advocacy illustrations. She worked extensively on the new ‘Corky’ documentary and is also responsible for the recent revamp of Dr. Visser’s Orca Research Trust website.

Haze Sommer

Haze Sommer (USA) calls the Pacific Northwest home. She is a lifelong domestic animal and wildlife advocate and rescuer. She is co-founder of Tilikum Co. Since 2014, she has led multiple successful educational outreach campaigns via social media to combat marine park disinformation (most notably “Ask SeaWorld”). Haze is passionate about orca and ever vigilant in her focus to help Southern Resident orca and salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest. She is also a skilled archivist, digital research assistant, and has assisted with several peer-reviewed studies on wild and captive orca.

Keep Whales Wild

Cétacés libres, ingrid visser.

Ingrid Visser is marine biologist known for studying orcas. Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Ingrid Visser holds three University Degrees: Bachelor of Science (Massey University), Masters of Science (Auckland University) and Doctorate of Philosophy (Auckland University). She has been studying orcas since 1992 and completed her PhD in 2000, on the first ever scientific study of orca in New Zealand waters.

Her research has been published in international scientific journals, since 1998, and many of these publications are available on the website  Orca Research .

In 2002 Visser’s research was instrumental in the New Zealand Government’s reclassification of New Zealand orca from “Common” in the New Zealand Threat Classification System to “Nationally Critical”. This is the equivalent status of “Critically Endangered” in the internationally recognised IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

She is a member of the Australia & New Zealand branch of the Explorers Club and continues to travel the world in search of orca.

Ingrid is also playing a crucial role of the  Free Morgan Foundation  and has appeared in court in the Netherlands in connection with the orca Morgan’s release efforts.

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