Denise Herzing

Dolphin researcher
Home: wilddolphinproject.org TED Blog: Quoted
Denise Herzing has spent almost three decades researching and communicating with wild dolphins in their natural setting and on their own terms. The book "Dolphin Diaries" tells her remarkable story.

Why you should listen

What better way to study an animal than in its natural habitat? Since 1985, Denise Herzing has been doing just that, spending each summer observing a pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins that live in the Bahamas as part of the Wild Dolphin Project. The work allows Herzing to better understand the pod's social structure, behavior, communication and habitat outside the confines of an aquarium or research facility.
 
Perhaps most remarkable is Herzing’s collaborative effort to design, build and use an interactive device to let humans communicate with the free-ranging dolphins. The 2011 book Dolphin Diaries tells her remarkable story.

What others say

“On certain moonlit nights along the Bahamas coral reefs, you may see Denise gracefully swimming her way out to sea.” — Ralph Helfer, Dolphin Diaries

Denise Herzing’s TED talk