Mammal to Mammal

Don’t know a pinniped from a pinwheel? Marine biologists at the Orange County Marine Institute can help.

The institute is running a series of lectures at its Dana Point Harbor center through February. The 45-minute talks focus on the lives of whales, dolphins, seals and whatnot that live in our oceans. The lectures are followed by a 2 1/2-hour, marine-mammal exploration cruise aboard the R/V Sea Explorer.

On Sunday, 45 adults and children enjoyed the ultimate visual aid--three California and Pacific gray whales flapping their tales, which is known as as “finning”--near the 70-foot vessel.

Everyone was handed binoculars and field photos to spot and identify the mammals. They also plotted and recorded the whales’ maneuvers by using a global positioning system.

Dennis Minder, the marine biologist who conducted the lecture and served as a tech on the boat, says one 40-ton whale was particularly active. “She breached for us--about two-thirds of her body came out of the water.”

Why do whales do that? “We speculate that they’re doing it for fun, [or] they’re trying to dislodge barnacles and sea life from their skin, or it’s a courting behavior.”

While Minder says he can’t promise cruise-goers will spot a whale, it is likely during the winter.

“We often get one or a pair of them on each trip,” Minder says. “We’ve seen them spy-hopping, which means they raise their heads out of the water and turn around 360 degrees to look for navigational points and check out the world.”

This is the institute’s third year presenting the series. Lectures are free; the cost for the optional cruise is $20 for adults and $14 for seniors and children 4 through 12.

Other topics spotlighting the International Year of the Ocean are:

* Sunday. “Harvesting Gray Whales in the ‘90s? Putting the Endangered Species Act to the Test”

* Jan. 17. “San Ignacio Lagoon: Gray Whale Nursery vs. New Salt Mine”

* Jan. 24. “Acoustical Research: Good Science or Noise Pollution for Marine Mammals?”

* Jan. 31. “Releasing Captive Marine Mammals Back Into the Wild”

Each lecture is repeated in February. Mammal cruises and tide-pool explorations (where visitors search for plankton samples) are scheduled for most Saturdays.

Reservations: (949) 496-2274 or visit the Web site at https://www.ocmi.org. The institute is at 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point.