Even though the harbour porpoise is the only whale inhabiting the Baltic Sea, cases of baleen whales visiting this part of the global ocean are not unheard of. In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity Michał Bała will tell us about documented occurrences of baleen whales in the Baltic.

Professor Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine Station of the University of Gdańsk Institute of Oceanography is the only institution in Poland that specialises in marine mammal conservation, research and education. Mikołaj Koss will share his insight and over 20 years of experience in informal harbour porpoise education within the Blue School project.

Marta Skorek’s research interests include sustainable marine governance, sustainable tourism and ocean literacy. In her talk she will present an overview of the status of the Baltic Sea harbor porpoise population, and encourage a discussion around the problem of keeping marine mammals in captivity.