​

Consultant: Jim Styers - Biography

 

Jim Styers early experience started with acquiring advanced diving certificates.  When hired by the Seattle Aquarium, he became part of the capture team and moved to head trainer of Killer Whales.  In 1976 he was hired as Curator of Mammals at the newly constructed City of Seattle Public Aquarium. In 1989 he became Director of Wildlife Response for the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. This led to contracting with major Oil Companies and the US Navy, to write their oil spill wildlife response contingency plans.  In 1995 he was contracted by the “Free Willy/Keiko Foundation” to design, construct and deploy the world’s largest floating sea pen, in Iceland.  He has transported many species of marine mammals throughout the world.  In 1999 he moved to Thailand and began to work with Thai and Myanmar Fisheries Departments for research on local populations of dolphins. After 16 years of living in Thailand, Jim, his wife Lada and stepdaughter Namwan Immigrated back to the USA.  Jim now runs TBA Business Services, LLC and CEO of Whale & Dolphin Advocacy Group

 

Current:

• CEO:  Whale & Dolphin Advocacy Group

• TBA Business Services, LLC (Business Consulting)

• Sub Sea Systems Manufactures Rep/ SE Asia & China

 

Mr. Styers accomplishments include:

 

• Trained several Killer Whales from the Pacific NW of America

• Collected and transported many species of marine mammals worldwide.

• Head Trainer of the "Old" Seattle Aquarium

• Curator of Marine Mammals at the "New" City of Seattle Aquarium

• First in the world to successfully propagate sea otters in captivity.

• Trained sea lions for search and rescue

• Owned and operated "Diving Ventures Unlimited, a dive adventure company

• Advanced diving certificates

• Designed, built and Director of the "Wildlife Rescue Center" for EXXON, during the Exxon/Valdez oil spill.  Largest rehabilitation center ever built.  85% survival.

• Conceived, owned and operated NW Marine Collectors, a small sea life collecting company, supplying many aquariums and zoos with sea life from the Pacific NW.

• Licensed United States Coast Guard Merchant Marine Officer

• Owner and CEO of Lazer Labels, Inc. Sold to Pioneer Manufacturing (Japan)

• Collected/transported 3 sea otters to Lisbon, Portugal for the "Year of the Ocean"

• Chief consultant for the Free Willy Keiko Foundation, in charge of design, construction, and deployment of Keiko's sea pen in Iceland

• Founder and Director of Fathom 23, Inc., Wildlife Rapid Response Team and Oil Spill Wildlife Management. (Consulting firms for marine mammal crisis/rehab.)

• Produced oil spill "wildlife contingency plans" for many major oil companies and the United States Navy.

• Conducted dolphin research in the Fiji Islands for 7 months.

• Head Consultant to the Myanmar Dolphin Project.

• Written and published travel articles for Thailand.

• Owner/partner of “Swim with the Sea Lions” in Koh Samui, Thailand

• SE Asia Manufactures Representative for several International companies.

• Lead Consultant: Toki's Sea Pen design, build and deployment. (until her death, Aug. 18, 2023)

• Currently: Consultant to Double Bay Sanctuary, BC, Canada. Sanctuary design. 

• Currently:  TBA Business Services with offices in Bangkok, Thailand and Richland, WA, USA.

• Currently:   www.wdadvocacy.org   FB: Whale & Dolphin Advocacy Group.