Ingrid Visser (researcher)

Ingrid Natasha Visser (born 20 February 1966 at Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand) is a marine biologist known for studying orcas.

Contents

Early life

Both her parents were Dutch immigrants who came to New Zealand in the 1950s. They were both nationalized as New Zealanders after she was born. Her mother is deceased and her father resides in New Zealand. She has one younger sister (Monique) also born in New Zealand, currently residing in Auckland, New Zealand.

Between June 1986-November 1986 Visser sailed with her parents and sister aboard a 17.3 m (57 ft) yacht,[1] around the world. The trip covered over 50,000 nautical miles (93,000 km) and visited more than 40 countries.

Education

Visser holds three University Degrees; Bachelor of Science (Massey University), Masters of Science (Auckland University) and Doctorate of Philosophy (Auckland University). Visser has been working with orca (Orcinus orca) (also known as killer whales) since 1992 and completed her PhD in 2000, on the first ever scientific study of orca in New Zealand waters.

Scientific work

Her research on orca has been published in international scientific journals, since 1998, and many of these publications are available on the website Orca research. (see below for a list of scientific publications).

In 2002 Visser’s research was instrumental in the New Zealand Government’s reclassification of New Zealand orca from “Common” in the New Zealand Threat Classification System to “Nationally Critical”. This is the equivalent status of “Critically Endangered” in the internationally recognised IUCN Red Data listing.

Publications

She has published numerous popular-style articles and her photographs have appeared in various magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife and New Zealand Geographic.

Visser has set up the Orca Research Trust, the Antarctic Killer Whale Identification Catalogue and was a co-founder of the Punta Norte Orca Research non-profit organisations all focusing on orca research. She also set up Adopt an Orca to facilitate fund raising and public awareness.

Visser has written an autobiography (“Swimming with Orca” – a finalist in the Environmental category of the prestigious New Zealand Montana Book Awards) and two children’s books (“I love killer whales” & “The Orca”). The latter has been translated into Māori and is currently in press as a bilingual English/Spanish publication.

Visser works as a guide on a variety of eco-tourism adventures, from swimming with whales to visiting Antarctica. She is a public speaker and has been described as “a marine version of Jane Goodall,” where her passion for the protection of orcas and their fragile habitats, as well as rescuing many stranded whales are clearly illustrated in her photographs and talks.

Other work

She is a member of the Australia & New Zealand branch of The Explorers Club and continues to travel the world in search of orca. She has published the first ever manuscript on Papua New Guinea orca and returns regularly to Walindi Plantation Resort to conduct field research there.

Documentaries

Visser has appeared in documentaries featuring her research with orca, such as Discovery Channel’s “Killers I have Known” (1998), Animal Planet’s “Untamed & Uncut: Killer Whales Attack a Seal” and the award winning PBS’s Jean-Michel Cousteau’s “Call of the Killer Whale” (2005).

Scientific publications

References

  1. ^ Geoff Cumming (6 December 2010). "New Zealander of the Year Finalist: Dr Ingrid Visser". New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10692370. 

External links