Dr. Roger Payne dedicated his life to the study of whales, and to their protection. A pioneer in the field at a time when thousands of these ocean giants were still being hunted, Roger was a passionate communicator who mobilized multitudes across the world by showing the critical role of whales for the life of our oceans and as a source of inspiration for humanity.

In 1971, together with the New York Zoological Society (today the Wildlife Conservation Society), Roger started the Southern Right Whale Program based on the photo identification of individuals in the waters surrounding Peninsula Valdés, a program which the Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas (ICB) has continued since 1996 in partnership with Ocean Alliance, an organization which he founded.

His studies were scientific trailblazers and foundational in the worldwide whale conservation movement. His life, and ours!, was particularly marked by his deep connection with Southern Right Whales and his love for the Argentine Patagonia.

The “Tracking Whales” team thanks Roger for being a visionary in establishing the foundations of our knowledge of Right Whales in the South Atlantic, and for his conservation commitment, a legacy we continue today in Argentina.

The “Satellite Tracking Whales” team wishes to honor the memory and thank a global leader in conservation, highlighting his pioneering efforts for the protection of the Southern Right Whales of Peninsula Valdés. As Director of the New York Zoological Society (NYZS; today Wildlife Conservation Society), in 1970 he initiated the Southern Right Whale project under the leadership of Roger Payne.

Dr Conway’s outstanding work on behalf of NYZS, negotiating with the Argentine national government and with Antonio Torrejón, then Secretary of Tourism of Chubut, led to the creation of the Golfo San José Marine Park, thus protecting a key site for the whales of Valdés.