Dale Vinnedge has studied the history of California whaling for more than 30 years, researching the subject through newspapers local to the whaling stations. He spent many hours looking at every page of the Alta California (San Francisco) newspaper (1850s-1890s), using microfilm records at the San Francisco Maritime Museum Library. Vinnedge volunteers at the library and currently is a director and past president of the Friends of the National Maritime Museum Library. The library has an extensive collection of books and photographs relating to Pacific coast history.