Our Education Team

Founder of The Whalemobile

Cynde McInnis grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Oddly enough, although surrounded by farms, she fell in love with whales at the age of eight. In 1994, she graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Psychology, focusing on learning and development. 

In 2002, she completed a master’s degree from Lesley University, in Interdisciplinary Studies, creating her own program of study focusing on whale watch education. For her thesis, she developed a curriculum for whale watch trips; to cultivate respect for our oceans, to educate about their environmental threats and to inspire people to make a commitment towards their protection.

Over the last 3 decades, Cynde has traveled all over to study whales, as well as taught hundreds of thousands of people about them. When she's not teaching with Nile, you can find her at 7 Seas Whale Watch leading whale watch tours!

Educator Extraordinaire

Kristin grew up near the water developing a love for all ocean animals. She went to the New England Aquarium many times as a child and loved the giant ocean tank, which is home to about 100 different species, but she always spent more time admiring the sharks. In 2017, she interned on a whale watch boat dipping her toes into the world of marine biology. In 2019, Kristin spent a winter in Maui, Hawaii working on a whale watch and snorkel boat studying the pacific humpback whale population in their breeding grounds. 

Seven years after her internship, she still loves being on the water and watching these animals. She loves it so much that she just got her 100 ton captain’s license. This December she will graduate from Unity Environmental University with a degree in Marine Biology & Sustainable Aquaculture. As an 8 year old child, she made herself a promise that she would one day go to South Africa and study sharks. That dream is happening in July and August of 2023! We can’t wait to incorporate some of her experiences into The Whalemobile program. 

Kristin’s favorite moment with The Whalemobile has been educating students about the importance of whales and watching the kids’ facial expressions when they realize how big these creatures truly are. Kristin believes you can do anything you put your mind to and wants to inspire future ocean advocates.

Exceptional Educator

Amanda has been a naturalist and educator for The Whalemobile since 2016. Amanda’s love for whales began when she was four, and from that moment on, she knew that working with whales was her true calling. Fueling her passion, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Wildlife and Conservation Biology, complemented by a minor in Education. She has a deep understanding of the whales in the Gulf of Maine and loves spreading her enthusiasm about them. Additionally, she has had the honor of studying the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales off of San Juan Island, Washington.  

 Eminent Educator

Michaela grew up in Beverly, MA loving the ocean. She graduated from The University of Tampa  in 2019 with a degree in Biology with a concentration of organismal and evolutionary ecology. After going on her first whale watch in 2016, Michaela has pursued many adventures on the ocean! She has been a whale watch naturalist in Massachusetts and Alaska, and is currently working with a non-profit organization called ORCA. 

When Michaela isn't with Nile, she can be found aboard cruise ships all over the world, collecting data on the whales and dolphins to further understand species/populations, locations, behaviors, and threats so we can safeguard their future. Her most recent trips have been to the Caribbean, Brazil, Tasmania, New Zealand and she will be spending the summer up in Alaska. Her favorite thing about The Whalemobile is talking to kids about the importance of whale poop! Not only does it make them gasp and giggle, but they learn about just how important whales really are.