Dorris Welch brings a mix of marine mammal expertise, research biologist, field naturalist, museum curator and whale watch boat captain knowledge, along with passion for the natural world to the passenger experience. Ms. Welch’s creative and knowledgeable presentation style synthesizes a lifetime of field biology experiences framed by forty years of professional accomplishments in University and Museum research, education, programming and exhibition curation/design and the private sector as owner/operator/captain/biologist of a whale watch charter boat on the Monterey Bay.

Ms. Welch has lectured worldwide and appeared on local, national and international television and public radio programs as an expert on marine mammals and marine biology of Monterey Bay (including the BBC/PBS series Big Blue Live).

She holds advanced degrees from the University of California in Marine Biology and Education and earned a USCG Merchant Mariners 50-Ton Captains License in 2017. In 2014 she sailed her 48-foot sailboat from Monterey Bay, California to the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. Dorris is an Advanced Certified SCUBA diver with over 200 dives in exotic locales. She is an avid scuba diver, sailor, kayaker, birder, caver, musician, and hunter of fossils and wild mushrooms.

Her breadth of working knowledge from a lifetime of field work, scuba diving and exploring the world spans the spectrum of natural sciences including marine mammals, marine biology, geology, botany, ornithology, art and cultural history. A field naturalist and teacher at heart, she conveys her passion for the natural world in a most engaging and joyful manner.

The Great Whales: Close Leviathan Encounters
Marine Biologist Dorris Welch will enthrall with personal anecdotes of real life experiences on the ocean studying whale behavior and distribution. Explore the natural history, adaptations and successes of these remarkable marine mammals through first hand accounts of a professional whale watch captain/biologist on the Monterey Bay. View superb images and drone footage of the baleen whales, with a focus on the humpbacks and blues which roam worldwide. Dive undersea with Captain Dorris as she shares her up close encounter swimming with humpback whales in Tonga.

Dolphins and Killer Whales: Superb Adaptations for Life at Sea
Marine Biologist Dorris Welch will delve into the natural history, adaptations, struggles and successes of these marvelous marine mammals. Hear first hand accounts of dolphin studies both in the lab and out at sea as Ms. Welch describes her work in the marine lab setting and ten years of observing wild dolphins on Monterey Bay, including the largest dolphin, the Killer Whale. Dolphins of the region being travelled will also be described with tips for spotting. Captain Dorris’ images, drone video and hydrophone recordings provide unique perspective to the study of these remarkable mammals found world wide.

Coral Reef Biodiversity: Underwater Wonderlands on the Edge
Explore the beauty of coral reefs and the colorful fascinating fish that populate them through the eyes of marine biologist Dorris Welch. Discover how coral reefs form and what makes them thrive, as well as the current environmental threats and efforts to protect these natural treasures. Captain Dorris will illustrate reef fish behavioral ecology with awesome video, photos and anecdotes about puffer fish, angel fish, butterfly fish, moray eels, rays, parrot fish and more. Dorris shares images from her diving explorations around the world from the cold water Monterey Bay to the tropical Indian Ocean reefs.

Sea Turtles: Remarkable Reptiles of the Ocean Realm
Dorris spins tall sea turtle tales and shares the marvels of their amazing adaptions for ocean living. Sea turtles have remarkable diving and navigation skills enabling them to travel vast distances across the world’s oceans for feeding and nesting. Most of our tropical and temperate seas are vital habitats for a host of endangered sea turtles which feed and/or nest here. Long exploited by humans and threatened with extinction, new awareness and conservation efforts are key for their survival. Captain Dorris shares engaging underwater video footage from her diving explorations with turtles from the Caribbean to the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Amazing Seabirds: Masters of Migration
Marine Biologist Dorris Welch has been a “birder” all her life and is especially keen on birds that live at sea. See striking images of seabirds - from albatross to pelicans to puffins - at sea and on nesting islands and learn about their remarkable migrations, adaptations and how human activities threaten their survival. Hear Captain Dorris’ stories of personal encounters with these superbly adapted birds and what we can do to save them from extinction.

Fur and Flippers: Seals, Sea Lions, Sea Otters and Manatees
Marine Biologist Dorris Welch shares her”furry” marine mammal encounters and perspective from research and field observations. View engaging images and video illustrating natural history of marine mammals inhabiting our coastlines based on first hand research and field encounters. Dorris will highlight her research work with northern elephant seals, sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters. Underwater footage of the rare endangered manatee will delight.

Cetacean Societies: Do Whales and Dolphins Express Culture?
Strong social bonds, communicating through vocalizations, cooperative foraging and interactions with humans are just a few the wonders of whale and dolphin behaviors explored in this fascinating look beyond the scientific data to the pondering of higher level cognition outside the human species. Captain Dorris shares her personal encounters with dolphins and whales both above and below water in video and narration that enthralls and poses questions to ponder.

The Underground Magic of Limestone & Sacred Caves
Join Dorris Welch on a photographic journey exploring the natural wonders of limestone cave formations. Hear stories of exploration and daring in our quest to discover new worlds below the surface. Explore the geologic processes of cave formation and decoration. View images of sacred temple caves from SE Asia to Malaysia. As a caver, Dorris shares her knowledge of caving techniques and safety and her joy of exploring the underground realms.

Humpback Whales: Leviathan Acrobats
Explore the natural history, adaptations and successes of this charismatic whale through first hand observations of a professional whale watch captain/biologist. These watchable whales are famous for their aerial acrobatics, melodious song and feeding frenzies. Drone footage of feeding frenzies from Monterey Bay will delight. Amazing underwater encounters will be illustrated with photos and video from the Tonga nursery grounds, one of the few places in the world where we can swim with whales.

Discover Scuba Diving!
Learn how SCUBA (Self-contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) gear enables us to safely descend to underwater realms. Explore how divers gear up and prepare to safely venture into caves and study coral reefs and kelp forests. Dorris shares her images and video from California, Baja, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and Tonga to highlight the beauty of underwater realms and the allure of taking the scuba diving plunge.

Nautical Knowledge: Tides and Waves
Discover what forces drive our ocean’s moods, from predictable tides, tropical cyclones to rogue waves. Learn how mariners read the forecast to navigate wisely. Explore extreme events and humans’ connections to these fascinating natural forces.

Whaling Tales from Indigenous Peoples to Tall Ships
View historical images and hear tales of whalers meeting the challenges of navigation in rugged seas, hunting massive whales in small dinghies with hand held harpoons and harvesting the bounty of the precious oil in an era where whale oil was more valuable than gold. This talk will highlight the major role whaling played worldwide from the earliest Atlantic Ocean whaling to Pacific and Antarctic whaling.

Pacific Northwest First Nations Culture: art and ecology
Striking images of indigenous art and historical photographs will illustrate this introduction to the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Their relationship to the sea for sustenance and spiritual practices will be highlighted along with stories from John Muir’s Alaska encounters in the late 1800s. Learn where to view Totem Poles and cultural sites during our port days.

Glaciers & Ice Caps: Then and Now
This overview of glaciers in SE Alaska will explore the world of glaciers and polar ice through contrasting historical images and current day documentation. Hear about John Muir’s exciting 19th century glacial explorations from California to Alaska. Meet contemporary geologists and activists working to conserve our threatened glacial terrains. Learn about the glaciers visited on this cruise.

John Muir’s Alaska.
Explore the journal entries and exquisite drawings of the Father of the Conservation Movement, John Muir’s travels through Alaska and observations on the indigenous culture, glaciers and botany at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Ms. Welch has first hand experience with Muir’s artifacts as curator and scholar for the only exhibition of Muir’s work to the public.

Indian Ocean Rim Wildlife Encounters: Monkeys, Flying Foxes, Elephants, oh my!
Meet a collection of charismatic characters thru the eyes of a wildlife biologist with a cultural twist. While traveling the Indian Ocean and beyond, Dorris has encountered and captured images of remarkable creatures, including Sri Lankan elephants, fruit bats of the Seychelles, and engaging monkeys from Malaysia, India & Zanzibar. SE Asia is considered the world’s top region for monkey biodiversity, with 25 local species of primates. Eleven of these are endangered and six are only found in Vietnam. Behavior, life history and restoration efforts will be explored.

Central American Wildlife: Birds, Monkeys and Jaguars, oh my!
Venture into tropical jungles and meet a smorgasbord of charismatic wildlife characters paired with Mayan art images.

Sharks: Amazing Ocean Predators
Explore the diversity and special adaptations of sharks worldwide. The iconic Great White Shark and Bull and Tiger Sharks will be highlighted with amazing underwater footage taken by the speaker in Fiji.

Marvelous Marine Life: Sharks, Dolphins & Seabirds
Dive with tiger sharks, swim with dolphins and soar with albatross in this exploration of adaptations to life at sea.

Celtic Culture: Music and Ancient Sacred Sites of the Emerald Isle.
Explore the traditional music of Ireland through the ears of a fiddler and hear enchanting
tales of Dorris’ pilgrimage to sacred sites throughout Ireland, including Skellig Michael,
Glendalough, Hill of Tara, Newgrange, Clonmacnoise and pagan ruins of the Burren.

Ancient Mayan Ruins in the Jungle
Hear first-hand stories from travels through Guatemala, Belize and the Yucatan exploring Mayan ruins, deep jungles, wildlife and culture. Ancient sites Tikal and Palenque are illustrated with interpretations of the mysteries they reveal, highlighting the most important discoveries and Mayan nature art and iconography.

Cruising to the Sea of Cortez in the wake of John Steinbeck and Doc Ricketts
This historic 1940 expedition aboard a Monterey fishing vessel of marine biologist and famous novelist as recounted through Steinbeck’s Log from the Sea of Cortez excerpts juxtaposed with Ms Welch’s recent marine biological observations and first hand sailing experiences from California to Baja Mexico into the Sea of Cortez. Historical and contemporary images are paired with quotes creating a colorful mix of literary history, marine biology and travelogue.

Cuban Ecological Encounters
Environmental conservation practices in Cuba illustrate how sustainability practices preserve paradise. Hear first-hands accounts of ecotourism’s positive impact on saving habitats and promoting sustainability in Cuba’s tropical rain forests, coral reefs, limestone caves and cenotes. Images of personal encounters with crocodiles, birds, bats, coral reef life and Cubans working to save them will illustrate Cuba’s rich biodiversity.

South Pacific Marine Life Encounters in Tonga
Amazing underwater encounters will be illustrated with photos and video of mothers, calves and curious interactive young whales from the Tonga nursery grounds, one of the few places in the world where we can swim with whales. Coral reef life images will highlight colorful tropical fish and invertebrates. The lively Tongan human culture will also be touched upon.

Viking Ocean: Panama Canal & Central America, Western Caribbean
Regent Cruise Lines: Dubai to Singapore (India, Myanmar), Southampton to Barcelona, Alaska SE Passage (as destination speaker)
Oceania Cruise Lines: Miami to San Francisco, San Francisco to Alaska (destination speaker), Sydney to Auckland
Silver Sea: Singapore to Zanzibar (Indian Ocean)
Celebrity: Southampton to Iceland & Ireland, Caribbean
Victory: St. Lawrence Seaway Detroit to Halifax

Lectured on Marine Biology, Geology and Cultural Anthropology as enrichment lecturer on all above and as destination lecturer SF to AK

Youtube link to 2021 virtual Road Scholar Presentation on Whales: https://youtu.be/kQL5aq62ifA

Dorris Welch holds a US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential 50 Ton Captains License

Dorris’ career spans 40 years in Natural Sciences/Marine Biology pursuits including: marine mammal research, teaching, museum curation, and owning/operating an ecotourism whale watch charter boat. Ms. Welch has earned three degrees: University of California Santa Cruz Masters in Marine Biology Education, Humboldt State University BS in Wildlife Biology, Mendocino College AS in Environmental Studies. She holds a California State Secondary Biology Teachers Credential.

Dorris Welch brings a mix of research biologist, field naturalist, museum curator and whale watch boat captain along with passion for the natural world to the passenger experience. Ms. Welch’s creative and knowledgeable presentation style synthesizes a lifetime of field biology experiences framed by forty years of professional accomplishments in University and Museum research, education, programming and exhibition curation/design and the private sector as owner/operator/captain/biologist of a whale watch charter boat on the Monterey Bay. Her breadth of working knowledge from a lifetime of field work, scuba diving and exploring the world spans the spectrum of natural sciences including marine biology, geology, botany, ornithology, art
and cultural history. A field naturalist and teacher at heart, she conveys her passion for the natural world in a most engaging and joyful manner.

Dorris’ career spans 40 years in Natural Sciences/Marine Biology pursuits including: marine mammal research, teaching, museum curation, and owning/operating an ecotourism whale watch charter boat. Ms. Welch has earned three degrees: University of California Santa Cruz Masters in Marine Biology Education, Humboldt State University BS in Wildlife Biology, Mendocino College AS in Environmental Studies. She holds a California State Secondary Biology Teachers Credential.

Dorris has taught for thirty years, mostly on the topic of marine biology and California ecology, to secondary and college level classes as well as adult docent courses and natural history field expeditions. Ms. Welch has appeared on local, national and international television and public radio programs as an expert on marine mammals and marine biology of Monterey Bay (including the BBC and PBS series Big Blue Live). She has presented hundreds of lectures and public talks on natural history and science topics for the Oakland Museum, UC Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and as the owner/operator of Sanctuary Cruises Whale Watch. Dorris has led over a dozen multi-day travel learning expeditions for the Oakland Museum of California Natural Sciences Guild, mostly in California but also to Belize, Galapagos and Maine.

At University of California Santa Cruz, Dorris researched marine invertebrates and marine mammals. She became the Education Director overseeing the aquarium, exhibits and all public programs for eight years and designing the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Dorris is a certified SCUBA diver with over 200 dives in exotic locales. She is an avid scuba diver, sailor, kayaker, birder, caver, musician, and hunter of fossils and wild mushrooms.

Dorris has curated interdisciplinary exhibitions at the Oakland Museum of California on: California National Marine Sanctuaries, John Muir, Giant Sequoias, Wild Mushrooms, the Art of Yosemite, Sequoia National Park, Caves of California, Amazing Bats!, Wildflowers of California and Mastodon Fossil Digs and designed permanent exhibitions on marine biology and research, as well as the natural history of
California.

Recently Dorris appeared on the BBC/PBS Big Blue Live series on Monterey Bay as the local whale expert and was the primary local advisor to this production. Ms. Welch has been an advisor to the National Marine Sanctuary programs for 25 years and involved in marine conservation and education efforts throughout California. Dorris is the author of many publications and multimedia presentations on California environments and has appeared on numerous television and radio specials on marine biology. She has presented well over 500 talks on the natural history of California and lectured all over the world on various cruise lines.

Dorris has led natural history tours all throughout California as well as to the Galapagos, Belize, Guatemala, Cuba and Maine. Dorris has traveled around the world to study the marine environment to places including: Belize, Tonga, New Zealand, Galapagos, Nova Scotia, Alaska, BC Canada, Hawaii, Baja, Mexico, Channel Islands and Ireland.

Ms. Welch earned a USCG Merchant Mariners 50-Ton Captains License in 2017. In 2014 she sailed her 48-foot sailboat from Monterey Bay, California to the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.