Amanda Colbert

A born-and-raised Florida native, Amanda grew up not far from the Atlantic and was fascinated by the ocean and cetaceans from an early age, crediting her adventures at the beach and the movie Free Willy for sparking her early orca passions. A 2014 bucket-list trip where she encountered Southern Resident orcas in the San Juan Islands changed the trajectory of her life and inspired a new personal mission.

Using her background in art and education, she has strived to connect everyone to the orcas of the Salish Sea ever since. Amanda has been teaching courses, giving talks, and guiding wildlife walks, boat-based tours, and other nature outings since 2017 through multiple organizations and programs.

She's a naturalist for Blue Kingdom Whale & Wildlife Tours out of Anacortes, and in the whale-watching "off season" helps curate and assists with orca courses hosted by the non-profit Orca Behavior Institute as a Research and Education Assistant.

Along with her soft spot for the Salish Sea orca communities, she also has an infectious admiration for birds.