About Us

30+ Years of
Whale Education

Our Story

From Whale Watch Naturalist to The Whalemobile

Cynde McInnis has spent more than 30 years helping people discover whales and the ocean. She began working as a whale watch naturalist in 1994, learning to recognize individual humpback whales and sharing their stories with passengers along the New England coast.

Her interest in how people learn led her from whale watching into education. With a background in psychology and a master's degree in education, Cynde began looking for ways to bring the experience of seeing a whale to students who might never have the chance to see one in the wild.

In 2012, that idea became The Whalemobile. Using a life-size inflatable humpback whale named Nile, Cynde began visiting schools and libraries and inviting students to step inside a whale while learning about anatomy, adaptations, ecosystems, and the challenges whales face in the ocean.

Today, The Whalemobile has grown into a team of experienced whale naturalists bringing firsthand stories, science, and a sense of wonder to students and communities across the country.

Visionary Award

Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, 2022

Guinness World Record Holder

Featured on Boston's Chronicle for her collection of whale items.

Educator & Naturalist

Psychology background, M.Ed., and decades of firsthand experience with whales.

Behind the Scenes

Meet the Team Behind the Whalemobile

From coordinating programs to sharing our stories online, this team keeps The Whalemobile moving.

Christine Bradley

First Mate & Program Coordinator

I grew up loving all things ocean, from the largest of whales to the tiniest of corals. I got my degree in Marine Biology and was in the animal care industry for nearly 10 years. I have worked with hundreds of species from sharks, octopus, eels, seahorses, and coral reefs to name a few. I also spent some time in Indonesia restoring coral reefs and educating the community on sustainability and their direct impact on the environment. I have always valued the importance of marine education and am thrilled to help Cynde bring the ocean closer to children everywhere!

Christine is the friendly voice who calls when you inquire and helps you with the details, from choosing a date to getting everything ready for your Whalemobile visit.

Ionylyn Iglesia

Signal Officer & Social Media Manager

Iona is from the Philippines and graduated with a degree in nursing. While nursing has always been close to her heart, she has found herself drawn to the creative world of social media, design, and storytelling. She now works with The Whalemobile on social media, where she gets to explore that creative side of herself while learning more about whales and the ocean by the way.

Iona creatively shares all of our experiences and trips on our social media and brings the program to life for everyone to enjoy

Teachers Section

Curiosity Crew

Meet Our Educators

Our educators bring more than a love of whales—they bring years of firsthand experience as marine naturalists, studying and teaching about whales in the wild.

Bailey Ulrich

Newburyport Whale Watch * Naturalist

Matt Mitchell

Granite State Whale watch * Naturalist

Gina Maduri

Hyannis whale watcher * Naturalist

Kristin Daley

Newburyport whale watch * Naturalist

Amanda Johnston

7 Sea whale watch * Naturalist

Michaela Tremblay

World Wide * Cruise Ship Naturalist

AMBASSADOR OF AWE

Nile — The Real Humpback Whale

Born 1987

Nile

Adult Female Humpback Whale, North Atlantic

Nile is an adult female humpback whale that lives in the North Atlantic. In the Western North Atlantic, humpbacks are named after marks on their tails, and Nile has a large black line on the left side of her tail that looks like the Nile River. She was born in 1987 to a whale named Mars, first sighted in 1979, who has returned to the coast of Massachusetts with at least 13 different calves — including Nile — over the past 40 years and counting. Nile herself has been a mom eight times, with her most recent calf in 2026.

Nile is one of Cynde's favorite whales. The first trip Cynde did as a naturalist on her own was in early October, 1995, on a beautiful calm day when Nile surfaced head first right next to the boat. She was a very friendly whale, spending time near the boat as if checking it out. Cynde remembers when Nile returned with her first calf in 1998, a whale given the name Amazon. The Whalemobile Team continues to see Nile every year, and it's no surprise Nile is the whale Cynde chose to make a replica of.

North Atlantic Humpback Mother of 8 1979 calf of Mars