The Cetacean Specialist Group was established in the 1960s. For a brief period in the 1970s it was merged with others to form the Marine Mammal Specialist Group. It was then reformed in 1979 and has continued since that time in approximately the same form.
History of the CSG
| Current Chair | Current Deputy Co-Chairs |
|---|---|
| 1997-present: Randall R Reeves | 2020-present: Gianna Minton
2020-present: Gill Braulik |
| Former Chairs | Former Deputy Chairs |
|---|---|
| – | 1998-2023: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara |
| 1991-1997: Steve Leatherwood | 1992-1997: Randall R. Reeves |
| 1984-1991: Bill Perrin | 1989-1991: Steve Leatherwood |
| 1979-1984: Mike Tillman | – |
| 1960s: Masaharu Nishiwaki | 1960s: Sidney Brown |