Valeria Vergara, PhD
Senior Scientist and Cetacean Conservation Research Program Director
Dr. Valeria Vergara directs Raincoast’s Cetacean Conservation Research Program. She holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Vergara did a Master’s in Behavioral Ecology and a BSc in Biology, both from Trent University in Ontario.
She is particularly interested in the communicative and perceptual capacities of marine mammals and the conservation implications of such capacities. In the last two decades, she has participated in a diverse array of cetacean field studies, including humpback whales, killer whales, Guiana dolphins, narwhals and beluga whales in various areas of Canada.
Her doctoral research was the first to document how beluga calves develop their rich repertoire of vocalizations, and to identify contact calls used to maintain group cohesion and mother-calf contact, critical in an underwater environment where animals cannot rely on vision. More recently, she paired underwater recordings with aerial drone footage to provide preliminary evidence that beluga contact calls may be individually distinctive and function as “acoustic name tags” and she is currently working in the St Lawrence Estuary to corroborate this finding. Her study on impacts of underwater noise on mother-calf acoustic communication showed that masking of the quiet, underdeveloped calls of neonates by noise can impair mother-calf contact.
More recently, Valeria has expanded her research to killer whales. She is leading a study of killer whale acoustic communication to link calls to the behaviours and contexts in which they occur – foundational knowledge for understanding what is lost when noise disrupts their acoustic lives. Closer to home, she co-leads a long-term collaborative effort to monitor vessel noise in critical Southern Resident killer whale habitat off Pender and Saturna Islands, work that has documented a sustained degradation of the acoustic environment despite existing management measures, and that feeds directly into science-informed advocacy for more effective protections.
Her work continues to address the challenges that sound-centered species face in their increasingly noisy environment, and has been featured in various documentaries, magazines and newspapers including National Geographic, The Nature of Things, New Scientist, The Globe and Mail, CBC Radio. and Threshold.
Peer reviewed publications
Kay, S.W.C., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Visona-Kelly, B.C., Mikus, M.A., Weiss, M.N., Croft, D.P., Vergara, V., Fearnbach, H., Durban, J.W., Darimont, C.T. 2026. Using drone-derived imagery to describe prey sharing behaviours in two piscivorous Resident killer whale populations. Marine Mammal Science. In press.
Aubin, J. A.; Mennill,.D., Michaud, R., Vergara, V. 2026. From calls to communities: Acoustic monitoring of contact calls indicates spatial structure in endangered belugas. Animal Behaviour. In Press.
Fernandez, E., Roca, I., FRizzle E., Michaud, R., Mikus, MA., Vergara, V., Aubin, J. Chion, C. 2026. Lightweight beluga call classification under habitat variability and marine traffic noise. Applied Acoustics 111412 (254). 10.1016/j.apacoust.2026.111412
Vergara V, Mikus M-A, Chion C, Lagrois D, Marcoux M, Michaud R. 2025. Effects of vessel noise on beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) call type use: ultrasonic communication as an adaptation to noisy environments? Biology Open 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.061783
Aubin, J. A.; Mennill,.D., Michaud, R., Vergara, V. 2025. Beluga societies: the social and cultural lives of an enigmatic odontocete. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 80:14 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-025-03630-3
Cotillard T, Sécheresse X, Aubin J, Mikus MA, Vergara V, Gambs S, Michaud R, Martins CCA, Turgeon S, Chion C, Roca I. 2024. Automatic detection and classification of beluga whale calls in the St. Lawrence estuary. J Acoust Soc Am. 156(6):3723-3740. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0030472
Booy, V. K., Vergara, V., Loseto, L., Mikus, MA., Marcoux, M. 2023. Geographic variation in simple contact calls of Canadian beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Marine Mammal Science, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13095
Aubin, J. A., Mikus, M.-A., Michaud, R., Mennill, D., & Vergara, V. 2023. Fly with care: belugas show evasive responses to low altitude drone flights. Marine Mammal Science, 1– 22. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12997
Lagrois, D., Chion, C., Sénécal, J-F, Kowalski, C., Michaud, R. and Vergara, V. 2022. Avoiding Sharp Accelerations can Mitigate the Impacts of a Ferry’s Radiated Noise on the St. Lawrence Whales. Scientific Reports 12, 12111. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16060-2
Vergara, V., Wood, J., Lesage, V., Ames, A., Mikus, MA., and Michaud, R. 2021. Can you hear me? Impacts of underwater noise on communication space of adult, sub-adult, and calf contact calls of endangered St. Lawrence belugas (D. leucas). Polar Research 40, 5521. D0I: https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v40.5521
Bates, A. E., Mangubhai, S., Milanés , C. B., Rodgers, K., and Vergara, V. 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic as a pivot point for biological conservation. Nature Communications 12, 5176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25399-5
Bates, A. E., Primack, R. B., PAN-Environment Working Group, and Duarte, C. M. 2021. Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment. Biological Conservation, 109175. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109175 (V. Vergara member of the PAN-Environment Working Group).
Ames, A. and Vergara, V. 2020. Trajectories of vocal repertoire development in beluga calves: insights from studies a decade apart. Aquatic Mammals 46(4): 344-366
Vergara, V. and Mikus, M. 2019. Contact Call Diversity in Natural Beluga Entrapments in an Arctic Estuary: Preliminary Evidence of Vocal Signatures in Wild Belugas. Marine Mammal Science 35(2): 434-465. DOI: 10.1111/mms.12538
Vergara, V. and Barrett-Lennard, L. 2017. Call usage learning by a beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) in a categorical matching task. Int J Comp Psychol 30: 1-20
Vergara, V., Michaud, R. and Barrett-Lennard, L. G. 2010. What can captive whales tell us about their wild counterparts?
Identification, usage and ontogeny of contact calls in belugas. Int J Comp Psychol Psychol 23: 278-309
Leung, E., Vergara, V. and Barrett-Lennard, L. 2010. Allonursing in captive belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). Zoo Biology 29:1-5
Vergara, V. and Barrett-Lennard, L. 2008. Vocal development in a beluga calf (D. leucas). Aquatic Mammals 34: 123-143
Vergara, V. 2000. Comparison of parental roles in male and female red foxes, V. vulpes, in southern Ontario. Can. Field-Nat. 115(1): 22-33
Vergara, V. 2000. Two cases of infanticide in a red fox, V. vulpes, family in southern Ontario. Can. Field-Nat. 115(1): 170-173
Technical reports
McNeilly, J., Hendricks, B., and Vergara, V. 2026. NoiseTracker: Tracking vessel noise and its implications for Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea. Raincoast Conservation Foundation. https://doi.org/10.70766/8.76355
Independent Science Panel on SRKW Recovery. Strengthening recovery actions for Southern Resident killer whales. March 4-6, 2025. Vancouver, BC, Canada. https://doi.org/10.70766/32.7300
Halliday, W., McBeth, S., Vergara, V. et al. 2022. Marine mammals in a changing Arctic Ocean. Aqhaliat Report, Volume 4, Polar Knowledge Canada, p. 58–83.
Vergara, V., Dearden, A., Chapman, J., and Miller, A. 2021. Understanding underwater noise pollution from marine vessels and its impacts on whales, dolphins and porpoises. Ocean Watch Spotlight Report. Ocean Wise Conservation Association. https://assets.ctfassets.net/fsquhe7zbn68/24WS9Xs6rrOp9ziqapeN7o/3d35140ba2b4d651947c489e56753002/OceanWatch-UnderwaterNoise.pdf
Dearden, A., Chapman, J., Miller, A., Vergara, V., Haulena, M., Akhurst, L., Dares, L., and Rowley, A. 2020. COVID-19: A story of marine mammals. Ocean Watch Spotlight. Ocean Wise Conservation Association, Vancouver, Canada. 16 pg. ISBN: 978-1-7772408-4-4
Vergara, V. 2019. Framework for noise-related metrics ecologically relevant for beluga whales, with emphasis on the St Lawrence Estuary Beluga Population. Report prepared for Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Mar 2015, 21pp.
Heise, K.A., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Chapman, N.R., Dakin, D.T., Erbe, C., Hannay, D.E., Merchant, N.D., Pilkington, J.S., Thornton, S.J., Tollit, Veirs, V.R., Vergara, V., Wood, J.D., Yurk, H. 2017. Proposed Metrics for the management of underwater noise for Southern Resident Killer Whales. Coastal Ocean Institute Report Series 2, Vancouver, 30pp.
Wood, J. and Vergara, V. 2014. Potential for masking of Southern Resident Killer Whale Calls and Echolocation Clicks due to Underwater Noise. Port Metro Vancouver Report Series, December 2014, SMRU Canada Ltd. 45pp.
Vergara, V., Michaud, R. and Barrett-Lennard, L. G. 2009. Contact call usage in a wild beluga population: Challenges and lessons of a playback study. Report prepared for DFO, Canada, March 2009. 10pp.
Proulx, G. and Vergara, V. 2001. Wildlife habitat attributes for wildlife tree patch quality assessment in CANFOR’s managed landscapes. Alpha Wildlife Research and Management Ltd. 64pp.
Selected lectures and conference presentations
2025. The costs of motherhood and the value of killer whale grannies. International Orca Symposium, Feb. 17. Tarifa, Spain.
2024. Addressing the challenges sound-centered species face in their increasingly noise environment. Plenary Speaker at IDEAS SFU Graduate Student Symposium.
2023. Learning, Culture and Tradition in Killer Whales. Pender Island Community Hall, Orca Awareness Month.
2021 and 2022. Course Instructor. Deep Minds: Learning, Culture and Tradition in Whales and Dolphins. A continuing studies lecture series through Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada. 10 Nov-10 Dec 2021, 1 Nov-10 Dec 2022.
2022. Live chat on the beluga boat. Polar Bears International. August 2022.
2022. Who are beluga whales? With Greg O’Corry Crowe, Jaclyn Aubin and Lori Marino. Webinar presented by the Whale Sanctuary Project. February 24, 2022.
2021. Cetacean Sanctuaries: Centers for the Study of Natural Communication. With Aza Raskin, Brenda McCowan, David Gruber, and Jim Crutchfield. A webinar presented by the Whale Sanctuary Project. Sep 20, 2021.
Vergara, V. et al. 2019. Impacts of underwater noise on mother-calf contact in endangered belugas. World Marine Mammal Conference. Dec 9-12, Barcelona, Spain.
Vergara, V. et al. 2019. Impacts of underwater noise on mother-calf contact in endangered belugas. International Workshop on Beluga Whale Research and Conservation. March 12-14, Mystic, CT, USA.
Vergara, V. 2019. The Story Collider. Public presentation for Canada’s Science Literacy Week. Sep 17, Vancouver, BC.
Vergara, V. 2019. From Canada to Argentina: Studying belugas and killer whales, two cultural species. Public presentation at the CIMM (Centre d’Interprétation des Mammifères Marins). Jul 29, Tadoussac, QC.
Vergara, V. 2019. Acoustic communication in belugas: A sound-centered species in today’s noisy world. Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Biology Seminar Series. Feb 1 (remote seminar).
Vergara, V. 2019. Do beluga whales have vocal signatures? Ocean Wise Public Lecture Series. Jan 19, Vancouver, BC.
Vergara, V. 2018. Contact-call diversity in an Arctic estuary: Preliminary evidence of vocal signatures in wild belugas. BC Marine Mammal Symposium. University of British Columbia, Nov 24, Vancouver, BC.
Vergara, V. and Mikus, M. 2017. Multiple natural replicates in an Arctic estuary provide evidence of signature calls in wild belugas. 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Oct 22-27, Halifax, NS.
Vergara, V. 2016. Sounds of the Sea. Creative Mornings International Lecture Series. Dec 02, 2016.
Vergara, V. and Michaud, R. 2015. Bird’s eye viewing and underwater eavesdropping: a marriage of technologies to
advance beluga whale research. 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Dec 11-19, San Francisco.
Vergara, V. and Barrett-Lennard, L. 2015. A quiet haven in a noisy world: baseline data on critical contact calls in a pristine beluga nursery habitat. 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Dec 11-19, San Francisco.
Selected media coverage
Disquieting. Threshold, a Peabody Award-winning documentary podcast. Season 5, Episode 14. September 2, 2025.
How A.I. and underwater microphones are protecting whales in B.C. CTV News, Vancouver. April 5, 2024.
B.C. group pushes for greater buffer between boats and killer whales. CBC News. March 31, 2024.
Hydrophone added to whale monitoring efforts. Gulf Islands Driftwood. November 15, 2023.
What nature’s sounds can tell us about the health of our world. Canadian Geographic. Alana Mitchell. August 12, 2022.
Thousands of beluga seek refuge in Canadian Bay. Taipei Times. AFP. August 25, 2022.Research camping, being adaptable, and beluga whales. So you want to be a Marine Biologist Podcast. Episode # 76. 2022.
Under the sea: What coronavirus is doing to the world’s marine mammals. Global News. July 30, 2020.
The Canary of the Sea. National Geographic Overheard Podcast – Aired Jul 21, 2020.
Ocean Noise and the Silence of the Whales. A CBC/ICI TV – Aired Jan 19, 2019.
Beluga whales use “acoustic name tags” to identify themselves within pods, research says. The Globe and Mail. Feb 3, 2019.
Do Beluga Whales Use ‘Acoustic Name Tags’ for Identification? Global News, Aired February 5, 2019.
The Mystery o the Belugas. Full-length documentary (Productions Nova Media and ZED). Aired in March, 2018.
La Contaminación Sonora Suma Riesgo a la Supervivencia de las Belugas. Radio Canada International. March 19, 2018.
Call of the Baby Beluga. Full-length documentary featuring some of the St Lawrence and Arctic work. Aired in December 2016 on The Nature of Things, and in March 2017 in National Geographic channels worldwide.
Vancouver Aquarium researcher on marine traffic and decline of belugas. Global News. Aired September 9, 2016.
What’s killing Canada’s beluga whales? Global News. Aired September 9, 2016.
Darkwave: Underwater Languages at the Brink of Extinction. Episode aired on “Ideas”, CBC Radio One. Sep 28, 2016.
The Belugas of St Lawrence: Serious Decline. Radio Canada International. Sept 09, 2016.
Drowning in sound? The sad case of the baby beluga whales. New Scientist. Feature Story by Isabelle Groc. May 04, 2016.
Crying to be Heard. The Chicago Tribune. May 2016.
The mysterious squeaks and whistles of beluga whales. BBC Earth. Story by Lesley Evans Odgen. January 2015.
Popular publications and research blogs
Barrett-Lennard, L., Frank, B., Ross, P., and Vergara, V. Opinion: How Canada can protect B.C.’s iconic killer whales without busting the budget. Vancouver Sun. Nov 20, 2025.
Vergara, V. 2025. A legacy of respect: Jane Goodall and my work with whales: The importance of keeping empathy at the heart of science. Web article, Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Barrett-Lennard, L., Vergara, V., MacDuffee, M., and Paquet, P, 2025. Opinion: Turning the tide for southern resident killer whales. Vancouver Sun. Jul 23, 2025.
Vergara, V. 2025. A mother’s grief, a population on the brink. Vancouver Sun. Op-Ed. Feb 04, 2025.
Vergara, V. and Barrett-Lennard, L. 2024. Comment: Fact over fiction: The realities of endangered killer whales. Times Colonist. Oct 3, 2024.
MacDuffee, M., Barrett-Lennard, L., Chhor, A., Dennert, A. M., Ross, P., Scott, D., Vergara, V. and Walters, K. 2023. Will Canada permit killer whale extinction? Science 380 (6652): 1330. DOI: 10.1126/science.adi5984
Greer, Ch. and Vergara, V. 2023. Wolves, whales, and elephants: animal personalities, culture, and conservation. How studying animal culture can inform conservation. Web article, Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Vergara, V. 2022. Mom, Can You Hear Me? Impacts of Underwater Noise on Mother-Calf Communication in Endangered Beluga Whales. Web article, Raincoast Conservation Foundation.Vergara, V. 2022. Raising calves in beluga society. Web article, Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Vergara, V. 2020. What’s in a Name? Studying the Calls of Wild Belugas. Aquablog, Ocean Wise
Vergara, V. 2020. Quiet Oceans: Has the Covid-19 Crisis Reduced Noise in Whale Habitats? Aquablog, Ocean Wise.
Vergara, V. 2019. Intentional Stranding Technique of Punta Norte Killer Whales: A Family Affair. Aquablog, Ocean Wise.
Vergara, V. 2018. “Mom, Can You Hear Me?” Field notes from the beluga research tower. Aquablog, Ocean Wise.
Vergara, V. 2017. Arctic Summer: Field Notes from the Churchill River Estuary. Aquablog, Ocean Wise.
Vergara, V. 2016. Unravelling the Mystery of Endangered Beluga Whales. Aquablog, Ocean Wise. Posted on Sep 8, 2018.
Vergara, V. 2014-2015. Field Notes from Arctic Watch. Series of articles for The Vancouver Sun (Week 1, Jul 18, 2014; Week 2, Jul 29, 2014; Week 3, Aug 6, 2014; Week 4, Aug 8, 2014; Week 1, Jul 20, 2015; Week 2, Aug 6, 2015.
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