After the Breach Podcast

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Episode 55 - Killing Seals Won't Save Salmon

A new bill in Congress would dramatically expand the killing of seals and sea lions in Washington waters in the name of salmon recovery. We’re joined by Casey McLean, exe

Jul 25
43 min

Episode 54 - Gray Whales, the Sounders, and a Species in Crisis

Gray whales have long been considered one of conservation's greatest success stories, recovering from the brink of extinction after commercial whaling. But today, the spe

Jun 17
1 h 11 min

Episode 53 - Part 3 Southern Resident Killer Whales 20 Years Endangered

Part 3: Twenty Years of Action: Where Do We Go From Here In this third episode of our multi-part series on Southern Resident killer whales, we take a look at some of the

May 12
47 min

Episode 52 - The Mystery of the T419s & March Whales

There were a lot of whales in the Salish Sea during the month of March, including a few new calves to some familiar Bigg's killer whales. The story of the month, however,

Apr 17
42 min

Episode 51 - Winter Adventures

We had some some incredible winter adventures during our short offseason and although not all of them were with whales they are worth sharing on this episode of After the

Mar 26
33 min

Episode 50 - Part 2 Southern Resident Killer Whales 20 Years Endangered

Part 2: Twenty Years of Action: What We've Tried, What it Cost, and What it Changed In this second episode of our multi-part series on Southern Resident killer whales, w

Feb 23
57 min

Episode 49 - January Whales in the Salish Sea

There were a lot of whales here this January and the winter months are a great time to see them in the Salish Sea. On this episode we talk about our January encounters an

Feb 3
38 min

Episode 48 - Southern Resident Killer Whales: 20 Years Endangered - Part 1

Part 1: How We Got Here In this first episode of our multi-part series on Southern Resident killer whales, we step back to look at the full historical arc — from the pre

Jan 14
49 min

Episode 47 - Attempts by Wild Killer Whales to Provision People

Returning guest Jared Towers from Bay Cetology joins us on this episode of After the Breach Podcast to discuss a paper he co-authored in the Journal of Comparative Psycho

Dec 24 2025
45 min

Episode 46 - 2025 Whale Sightings Recap

It's time for our annual recap of whale sightings from the past year. Frequent guest Monika Wieland Shields, co-founder and director of the Orca Behavior Institute, joins

Dec 9 2025
1 h 04 min

Episode 45 - T65A5 "Indy"

We've mentioned him on many episodes. He's a young and fascinating whale, a social butterfly and sometimes a troublemaker. On this episode of After the Breach, Jeff and S

Sep 15 2025
54 min

Episode 44 - Orca Behavior Institute 10 Year Anniversary

This episode of After the Breach is a special one—it was our first recording with a live audience! In celebration of the Orca Behavior Institute’s 10th Anniversary we joi

Sep 4 2025
1 h 07 min

Episode 43 - Harbor Seals

Joining us on the latest episode of After the Breach Podcast we welcome back Dr. Cindy Elliser from PacMam Research to talk to us about a very important, non-cetacean tha

Jun 25 2025
56 min

Episode 42 - Fight Club vs. Flight Club

Joining us on this episode is Trevor Branch, a professor at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, to discuss his paper, "Most “fligh

Apr 30 2025
1 h 00 min

Episode 41 - Whale Stories from March

March was an incredible month for whale sightings in the Salish Sea, with killer whales encountered on almost 90% of our tours with Maya's Legacy Whale Watching. On this

Apr 14 2025
33 min

Episode 40 - Harbor Porpoise

Often encountered on the water, Harbor Porpoise are the smallest cetacean in the Salish Sea and can be very underappreciated. Joining Sara and Jeff to share incredible in

Apr 1 2025
47 min

Episode 39 - Trip Report, Humpbacks of the Silver Bank

Sara, Jeff and a group of After the Breach Podcast listeners just returned from the Dominican Republic where they spent a week with North Atlantic humpback whales in thei

Mar 18 2025
50 min

Episode 38 - Killer Whales of Bremer Canyon, 2025 Update

On this episode of After the Breach, Jeff is reunited with Sara after she returns from Bremer Bay, Western Australia. The two of them get down into the details of what sh

Feb 21 2025
41 min

Episode 37 - Calf Mortality & Reproductive Rates in Salish Sea Killer Whales

On Episode 37 of the podcast, co-hosts, Jeff and Sara, welcome back returning guests Monika Wieland Shields of the Orca Behavior Institute and Michael Weiss of the Center

Feb 8 2025
49 min

Episode 36 - 2024 Whale Sightings Recap

Frequent guest Monika Wieland Shields, co-founder and director of the Orca Behavior Institute, joins hosts Sara and Jeff for a recap of 2024 whale sightings, trends and o

Jan 3 2025
45 min

Chart trend

Position in the Nature chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#100#199JunJulAugSep

#45

all-time peak

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where After the Breach Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 28, 2026).

#177 — Nature US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

As a fully-fledged Orca dork, After the Breach has very quickly become my most eagerly anticipated podcast. Killer whales are my favorite animals, and I have learned so much more about the West Coast population from the ATB crew. They know the whales so well, and give a little glimpse of not just their behaviors, but their unique personalities (I mean, if you don’t fall in love with Indy after hearing Jeff, Sara, and Monika talk about him, check your pulse). I had the great good fortune to go out on a trip with Maya’s Legacy in October 2023 and got to meet the T123s, which turned my fascination with these majestic creatures up even higher. This podcast feeds the obsession, since I’m in the “other” Washington (DC) and don’t get to see them near home. Until the next time I can come visit in person, I will treasure every episode!

GEMAuntie · Apr 2026

This podcast is delightful. A great mix of information, anecdotes and adventure. I always learn something new.

BBarbara! · Feb 2026

I’m genuinely excited that After the Breach exists. A podcast dedicated to educating the public about the Southern Resident orcas and related species is deeply needed, and I look forward to seeing how the show evolves. There’s a lot of heart in this project, and I appreciate the hosts’ commitment to this work. That said, I’ve had some difficulty engaging with recent episodes. Technically, it’s hard to follow interviews when guests call in. On the harbor porpoise episode, for example, I had to stop listening because I couldn’t make out what the guest was saying. Better mics or audio cleanup would go a long way in making the science accessible to more listeners. Content-wise, I was frustrated with the harbor seals episode. While guest Cindy Elliser was easier to hear this time, she didn’t seem fully prepared. Key terms like “haul out” weren’t explained, and she repeatedly referenced a PowerPoint she didn’t have in front of her when asked basic questions about harbor seal behavior or diet. Meanwhile, the hosts and guest alluded to legislation proposing a cull of harbor seals, but didn’t name the bill or provide any clear next steps for listeners. I wanted to act, but I didn’t have the information I needed to do so. The tone felt conversational (which I do like), but the lack of clarity, definitions, and actionable info made it feel disorganized, especially for a topic this important. But the most troubling moment came when the team agreed that “before humans,” the rivers were so full of salmon that you couldn’t walk through them without stepping on fish. This comment invisibilizes thousands of years of Indigenous presence and stewardship. It’s inaccurate and harmful. Indigenous people have always lived here, long before European colonization, and their deep relationships with salmon are why we even know what salmon abundance once looked like. If you mean “before colonization,” say that. As Robin Wall Kimmerer writes in Braiding Sweetgrass, the idea that humans are inherently destructive to ecosystems is a story rooted in Christian sin narratives and colonial worldviews, not a universal truth. Indigenous cultures across this region have practiced reciprocal, regenerative relationships with salmon for millennia. The salmon weren’t harmed by the presence of humans. They were harmed by a specific extractive colonial culture that continues to build dams, log forests, and poison watersheds on stolen land. And that culture’s epistemologies and legislative solutions cannot be the only ones we turn to now. If we care about the orcas, the salmon, and the health of these ecosystems, we need to get more precise and more honest. That means grounding science in relationship, naming the actual historical and political causes of collapse, and elevating Indigenous leadership and knowledge systems. It’s not enough to call for action; we have to be clear about what that action is, and who we should be listening to. I believe this podcast has the potential to grow into a powerful voice for interspecies justice, and I’ll keep tuning in. But I hope future episodes bring in not just scientists, but also Indigenous knowledge holders, activists, and storytellers and that the team embraces the responsibility that comes with holding space for these crucial conversations.

bexgbex · Jul 2025

Like a master class in marine biology by lived experience of the podcasters: Real and close to the bone.

pkfletcher1 · Jul 2025

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.