E-Mail: bentley1@rohan.sdsu.edu
I started working with marine mammals during my undergraduate years at UCSB. As a volunteer for the Marine Mammal Center of Santa Barbara, I was involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of injured and/or abandoned cetaceans and pinnipeds. During this time, I also conducted photoidentifcation studies on gray and humpback whales off the Channel Islands, and monitored their movement and behavior patterns in relation to offshore oil rigs and whale watching vessels. Since graduation, I have had the opportunity to study blue, fin, sei, minke, pilot, and beluga whales in the Saint Lawrence Estuary; along with gray, harp, and harbor seals. Most recently, I spent a summer on Sakhalin Island, Russia studying the endangered Korean gray whale with Dr. Bernd Wursig, Dr. David Weller, and a team of Russian scientists and students. Besides mammals, I have worked with several other marine species in both laboratory and field settings; including phyto and zooplankton dynamics, reef fish recruitment, shark reproduction, and tropic bird ecology.
My thesis research focuses on habitat utilization by bottlenose dolphins through precise measurement of movement patterns using a surveyor’s theodolite. The primary goal of this study is to determine critical core areas used for feeding and to evaluate the ecological variables which affect this behavior. My primary study area is located off La Jolla and Torrey Pines. This nearshore area contains a variety of habitats including rocky reefs, sandy bottoms, submarine canyons, and an estuarine system. Numerous movement tracks of both southern and northern migrating gray whales were also obtained during the study year which I plan to further analyze once my degree is completed.
When I’m not busy studying dolphins, I enjoy spending my time surfing with them. Their beauty, grace, and ability to pull off long tube rides never ceases to amaze me. I also enjoy scuba diving and underwater photography. I recently have rediscovered golf (a great way to pass the time during small summer swells) and am quickly being humbled by the little white ball.
Last updated on 10/22/98. 
