About Us
PROCETUS was founded in 2015 as a grassroots research project to monitor cetaceans in Baja California. With small grants and a lot of motivation, the project spent over eight years collecting data in remote field sites across the Baja Peninsula. When our founder began her PhD, she realized that research and tourism didn’t have to exist separately and that responsible ecotourism could support science rather than replace it. Today, PROCETUS combines both: a science-led ecotourism initiative that funds and strengthens whale research while creating meaningful connections between people and the ocean.
FERNANDA URRUTIA
Fernanda is the founder of PROCETUS, a science-driven ecotourism and marine research initiative based in Baja California. She holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where her research focused on the conservation genetics and population structure of whales. For over 10 years, Fernanda has been studying cetaceans in the Gulf of California, particularly fin and gray whales. Since 2019, Fernanda has also been leading field expeditions for UCSD students, combining education, research, and sustainable adventure. These experiences inspired her to expand PROCETUS into a science-led ecotourism project, offering life-changing encounters with marine wildlife while still contributing valuable data to research and conservation. Born and raised in mainland Mexico, Fernanda is passionate about sharing the beauty of Baja’s oceans and inspiring the next generation of scientists and ocean advocates. Whether at the bow of a panga or behind a camera documenting whales, she is dedicated to protecting the marine life she loves.
FERNANDA URRUTIA
Fernanda is the founder of PROCETUS, a science-driven ecotourism and marine research initiative based in Baja California. She holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where her research focused on the conservation genetics and population structure of whales. For over 10 years, Fernanda has been studying cetaceans in the Gulf of California, particularly fin and gray whales. Since 2019, Fernanda has also been leading field expeditions for UCSD students, combining education, research, and sustainable adventure. These experiences inspired her to expand PROCETUS into a science-led ecotourism project, offering life-changing encounters with marine wildlife while still contributing valuable data to research and conservation. Born and raised in mainland Mexico, Fernanda is passionate about sharing the beauty of Baja’s oceans and inspiring the next generation of scientists and ocean advocates. Whether at the bow of a panga or behind a camera documenting whales, she is dedicated to protecting the marine life she loves.
«People often ask me why I love taking others to experience these encounters. And I tell them, it’s not always the whales I’m watching! Sometimes I’m looking at the people. Their faces, their emotions. That is why I do this. Because in that moment of awe, something shifts. They feel present, happy, connected, complete. And sometimes, that feeling simply stays with them, reminding them of how beautiful nature is and how lucky we are to share and protect it.”
