Fishing with Whales in Alaska

From Squid Shocks to Whale Tales: The High Seas Adventures of Nick Rahaim on NOAA, Salmon, and 'The Blob'

On this Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast episode, David Helvarg & Natasha Benjamin speak with Nick Rahaim, a former commercial fisherman, journalist, researcher, and now public spokesman for NOAA (though speaking on his own behalf). We’ll talk about his adventures, from the shocks of squid fishing to confrontations between fishermen and whales in Alaska (including a shooting incident), to whale intelligence, whale depredation, and what it was like in Southwest Alaska when migrating salmon met “the blob.” So, join us for this fascinating episode.

Nick Rahaim is an award-winning writer, researcher, and former commercial fisherman. He's currently a Public Affairs Officer for NOAA Fisheries and is the Programs Director for volunteer-led Jiquilisco Bay Alliance, an organization that runs sustainable fishing, mangrove reforestation, and community empowerment projects in El Salvador. Nick's work in El Salvador began in 2022 when he moved to the country for a Fulbright fellowship, following his graduation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies with a masters in International Environmental Policy. Nick was also a member of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning team at the Press Democrat in Santa Rosa for their coverage of the devastating North Bay wildfires. As a commercial fisherman has worked in more than a dozen fisheries from Southern California to the Bering Sea, logging nearly 1,500 days at sea. Check out his blog at outside-in.org.