Brett Soberg received the 2013 EcoStar Environmental Leadership Award: CRD (Capital Regional District Victoria) for being a leading environmental steward of our regional coastal ecosystem. With many local marine species at risk from climate change, pollution and overfishing, Brett has embarked on a mission to protect our marine environment and enhance community action through ecotourism, education and mentoring. His passion for the environment led him to co-establish Eagle Wing Tours as Canada’s first Carbon Neutral whale watching company, the founder of the Victoria Sustainable Tourism Alliance and to initiate Victoria’s World Oceans Day celebration at Fisherman’s Wharf. Under his guidance and leadership, the company has won the 2013 Tourism Vancouver Island Sustainable Tourism Business award, the 2014 and 2016 Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s Top Tourism Sustainability award and the 2016 EcoStar Experiential Tourism Award. Born and raised in Victoria, Brett has been a professional captain for over 24 years within the whale watching industry in Victoria, and continues to drive positive change within industry and the local community. Sustainability and delivering his best is his way of life both on and off the water.

Dr. Anna Hall is a marine mammal zoologist with academic, industrial and military experience. She has worked with marine life around the world, including British Columbia, Nunavut, Chile, Mexico, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Scotland, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Kingdom of Bahrain and St. Vincent and Grenadines. She is a member of the Species at Risk Advisory Committee in Canada, a fellow of the Zoological Society in London, an Adjunct Professor at Royal Roads University, and co-owns Sea View marine Sciences. Dr. Hall works with a variety of marine mammal species but has a special interest in the conservation of small cetaceans. She has research programs on Harbour porpoise, Dall’s porpoise, Burmeister’s porpoise and participates in the conservation efforts of for Vaquita and Yangtze finless porpoise

Judi Fitzgerald brings more the 20 years of administrative and office management experience to the Wild 4 Whales Foundation and serves as our treasurer. Born and raised on Vancouver Island, she has a love and appreciation of the ocean and marine life. Her passions include her dog, and animal conservation and rescue. Judi’s interest in global wildlife issues led her to a recent completion of the United for Wildlife Conservation course. Judi volunteered at the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Recovery Centre (WIld ARC) in small animal care, and has participated in the rescue of live stranded harbour porpoise. She has also provided technical research assistance for numerous marine mammal scientific surveys over the past 10 years. Her technical interest and knowledge includes coastal marine mammal behaviours, particularly harbour porpoise and Dall’s porpoise, killer whales, Steller Sea Lions and harbour seals.

Ms. Mika Ogilvie is a marine biologist with over 11 years of commercial experience in the Salish Sea with a particular focus on marine mammals. She conducted her M.Sc. research on southern resident killer whales at Royal Roads University, but she has worked with marine mammals throughout the northern and southern hemispheres. Her field experience includes the waters of British Columbia, Washington, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and throughout Antarctica. Mika has worked as a First Mate and naturalist aboard commercial whale watch vessels around the world, including from Victoria, BC. She maintains an excellent working relationship with members of the Pacific Whale Watch Association. Mika has direct experience with the marine
mammals of Juan de Fuca Strait and adjacent waters, and is knowledgeable on the identification of all species. She is skilled in photo-identification of individual humpback, and southern resident and transient killer whales. Mika is a professional Marine Mammal Observer and researcher with Sea View Marine Sciences. She has a B.Sc. in Biology and an M.Sc. in Environment and Management.