A year ago, I never imagined I would be co-authoring a scientific publication.
Yet that is exactly what happened.
In March last year, I had the opportunity to be a keynote speaker at the EAAM, and that experience set things in motion. Looking back, it was the point where two parts of my professional life came together. I had spent many years working in the ex situ world (working with animals under professional human care), and through my current work in in situ (studying animals in their natural environment), I realised that I could finally bring those two worlds together in a real and practical way.
There are often strong opinions about both fields, and the discussions around them are usually framed in terms of differences, strengths, or limitations. But one of the things I value most is that in situ and ex situ can also learn from and support each other. Both bring knowledge, experience, and observations that matter. When those perspectives come together, they can help us ask better questions and understand animal behaviour in a broader way.
I also believe that whale watching activities, and the insights gained during tourism experiences on the water, can contribute to this. When approached responsibly, these moments can offer valuable observations and create opportunities to notice behaviours that might otherwise go undocumented. This publication is, to me, also a reminder that learning can come from different places, and that careful observation in the field matters.
Together with my partner and Javier, this led to a publication I am proud to be part of. Not because publishing was ever the goal in itself, but because it grew naturally from shared observations, curiosity, and collaboration.
For me, this paper also reflects something I have been feeling for a long time: that there is real value in connecting these two fields instead of keeping them separate. Sometimes a new insight starts simply because different experiences meet at the right moment.
A year ago, I would not have expected this path to lead to a shared publication and a new discovery. That is exactly what makes it so special to look back on.
Read the full article here: https://www.mdpi.com/3352452