Wild World S2E13 - Watching Whales in Southeast Alaska with Heidi Pearson

Alaska is a place of superlatives. It’s by far the largest state in the US. It’s home to the highest mountain in North America, and more than 27,000 glaciers. In the winter, it gets dark and cold– the record low was -80 degrees Fahrenheit.

But because Alaska is so big, there’s a big difference between regions. While the far North extends well into the Arctic Circle and is home to polar bears and caribou, and its southern end, Alaska has a much milder climate. Southeast Alaska, which extends along the Western edge of the Canadian province of British Columbia, has dramatic coastlines carved by glaciers where mountains covered in dense forest plunge down toward the sea. This is a land where brown bears hunt for salmon making their way upriver to spawn, as bald eagles soar overhead. There are also over a thousand islands, ranging in size from just a few rocks to as much as 90 miles long. The Pacific Ocean winds its way from north to south, forming a marine maze known as the Inside Passage.

The waters off the coast of southeast Alaska are some of the best places in the world to see whales. Whale watching has become a big business, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. But it’s also a pretty ideal place to be a biologist that studies whales.

And that’s exactly what brought my guest here. Dr. Heidi Pearson is Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. She has a Bachelor's degree in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, and Biology, from Duke University and a PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University.

This episode of Wild World was produced by 3WireCreative with support from the Rice Alumni Traveling Owls and National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

The Rice Alumni Traveling Owls program offers exciting intellectual itineraries to destinations across the globe. Traveling Owls trips serve as a catalyst for lifelong learning and strengthen bonds between Rice University alumni and friends. But you don’t have to be a Rice alum to participate in Traveling Owls programs. I’ll be hosting a Traveling Owls trip to southeast Alaska in August 2026 on a tour organized by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. We would love to have you join us! Visit alumni.rice.edu/travelingowls for all the details. You can also call (713)-34-TRIPS or email travelingowls@rice.edu to ask questions or sign up!

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