Sally Hodson

Whether watching killer whales with kids or teaching a class, Dr. Sally Hodson loves to use stories to connect with people. She has taught elementary, secondary and adult learners and provided professional training for teachers. She earned her doctoral degree at the University of Colorado with a focus on education and environmental science. While the Executive Director at The Whale Museum, she helped coordinate the successful rescue and rehabilitation of Springer (A-73), the orphaned baby orca who was found alone in Puget Sound and returned to her wild family in Canada.

Dr. Hodson wrote Granny's Clan: A Tale of Wild Orcas to share the real-life story of an endangered wild orca family. She remembers a special encounter with Granny (J-2), the clan's one-hundred year old matriarch. "While I was on a whale-watching trip, Granny swam alongside our boat, raised her head above the surface and looked directly into my eyes for several moments. Making eye contact with a century old great-great-grandmother orca is an amazing experience that cannot be described with words. I was captivated and knew I had to share her story with kids."