 Ocean Alliance was founded in 1971 by whale biologist Dr. Roger Payne, with the purpose of saving the great whales from the very real extinction risk which commercial whaling posed at the time.Payne, along with colleague Scott McVay, became famous for the discovery that humpback whales sing songs, a discovery which allowed him to become an influential figure in the worldwide campaign to end commercial whaling.Since its founding under Payne, and later under the stewardship of current CEO Dr. Iain Kerr, Ocean Alliance has been an important group in the worldwide effort to research and protect great whales.