"CSI Humpbacks: Decoding Whale Scars" - An Interview with Allison Payne of San Francisco State's Estuary and Ocean Science Center

by Shoshana Harlem, Terra Linda High School

Allison Payne is a graduate school researcher who works at the Hines Lab at San Francisco State's Estuary and Ocean Science Center. She also is a researcher for the Marine Mammal Center Cetacean Field Research Team and a naturalist for San Francisco Whale Tours. For her thesis, she is studying scarring on humpback whales and how it affects their interactions with other species.

1. What made you interested in studying humpbacks?

Humpback Whale

I grew up in Dana Point, California - a place that recently trademarked the phrase “Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World.” Growing up so close to the ocean meant that there were tons of opportunities for me to interact with the ocean from a young age. I have a journal entry from when I was in kindergarten where I talk about seeing dolphins while walking at the harbor and how it made me want to be an “oshin ograffer”. 

As I got older, I started to focus on other things. I was particularly interested in brains, cognition, and consciousness. I started my undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley, but wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do until I took a class called Animal Cognition. 

I was engrossed by the research, theories, and stories presented to me in that class. I couldn’t stop thinking about how other animals might perceive the world and how the differences might manifest in their experiences, communications, and relationships. I got involved with Cal Squirrels to study the abundant fox squirrels on campus and realized that field research was definitely for me. I loved solving tactile problems, being outside, and hanging out with animals. 

While studying squirrels, I started thinking about what animals I’d like to study long term. Pondering this led me to think about all the mysteries of whale brains and behaviors. Cetaceans have been evolving separately from us for over 60 million years, but in many ways we are very similar. The fact that I could see parallels between us in everything from neuroanatomy to culture was thrilling. That’s when my love of whales came full circle and I decided to pursue whale research as a career. 

2. What can a person find out about a humpback whale from their scars?

Scars tell stories about where we’ve been and what has happened to us. For whales, that means we can see when they get in fights with each other, when they encounter predators, or when human activities like boating or fishing impact their lives. Just like at a crime scene, we can use scars as evidence and work our way backwards to find out what happens to whales when there are no humans around to see them. 

3. What are the best parts of your job? What are the hardest parts of your job?

The best part of studying whales is, of course, the field work. Being out on the water is hard and thrilling work. I love working on boats, collaborating with locals, and seeing amazing natural displays. 

In my work, I often interact with the public, especially when I guide whale watching tours. Education can sometimes be the hardest part! I remember at one point last year I was on the San Francisco Whale Tours vessel Kitty Kat, and we were watching several humpback whales just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. 

When we first saw the whales, they were several hundred yards west of us. I knew we had an incoming tide, a western wind, and lots of anchovies underneath us, so rather than approach the whales, I chose to have the captain put the boat in neutral and wait for the whales to come to us. 

This wasn’t a popular decision with some of the passengers, several of whom insisted that we move closer. I started to explain to them that whales should be treated just like any other wild animals and the best way to gain their trust is to be quiet and not make sudden movements. However, I was interrupted by the giant sneeze-like sound of a humpback whale spouting only feet from our boat! 

It was pretty satisfying to see the same passengers who had been pouting become excited and awed as they got faces full of whale snot. The humpback circled around our boat, eventually giving us a beautiful fluke dive only 10 yards away. Choosing to give the whales the opportunity to come to us gave us a beautiful, safe, and ethical encounter with these gentle giants. And it all happened with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in the background - pretty special!

4. What advice would you give to people who want to study humpbacks?

Get involved in research projects as early as you can. Try out all kinds of research - from pipetting in the lab, to counting animals in the field, to writing computer programs to analyze data. It doesn’t matter if the lab closest to you studies otters and you love belugas - just start somewhere. Maybe you’ll discover a love for plankton or coral and end up on a completely different path than you thought!

Some of my most valuable and formative career experiences were the learning experiences I had in different labs I volunteered in during college. It helped me figure out what I like and make connections with professionals who still support and advise me today. 

5. What current projects are you working on?

I’m currently working on my Masters thesis with San Francisco State’s Estuary and Ocean Science Center. I’m studying humpback whales who become entangled in fishing gear off the Central Californian coast. I am looking at tons of photos of these whales to see if they have scars left from being caught in the gear.

Want to learn more about Alison Payne and humpback whales? Join us on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at Terra Linda High School from 7:30PM-8:30PM in Room 207!