Scenic Roots

"Scenic Roots" offers conversations that matter in the heart of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.From the mountains to the river, our conversations are rooted deep within every corner of our community - reflecting who we are, who we were and who we can become.We engage with the news that affects our community, behind and beyond the headlines. We build bridges that span from creators and innovators to storytellers and the outdoors. We focus on our challenges as many communities in one - as we celebrate what inspires us. We resonate with countless voices - in words and spaces, sounds and songs.We are "Scenic Roots."Ray Bassett hosts and produces "Scenic Roots" at WUTC.

Words Of A Blue Whale Whisperer: Marine Biologist Dr. Diane Gendron

WUTC | By Ray Bassett

Published July 1, 2024 at 5:16 PM EDT

Dr. Diane Gendron is a marine biologist known as the “blue whale whisperer.”

She has spent more than three decades studying the marine mammals in Mexico’s Gulf of California - and she created the world’s most comprehensive database of blue whales, the largest animals known to have ever existed on Earth.

Dr. Gendron - who is based at the Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas in Mexico - is one of the stars of the film “Blue Whales: Return of the Giants 3D,” now screening at the Tennessee Aquarium’s IMAX 3D Theater here in Chattanooga.

When she visited this city a few weeks ago to mark World Ocean Day, I spoke with her and the Aquarium’s Thom Benson.

Poster for “Blue Whales: Return of the Giants 3D”