Career Story: Marine Mammal Observer
My career journey so far
In my 20s, I had a vision of working on a boat with marine mammals. To be honest, this felt slightly silly because I had just graduated with a nursing degree!
But this passion for marine mammals led me to complete an MSc thesis on harbour porpoises, and a little later I became a marine mammal lecturer aboard an expedition cruise ship in Norway – I couldn’t believe my luck. After this, I moved on becoming a marine mammal consultant for nearly 3 years, and now I am looking for opportunities in research in the sector.
My average day
As a Marine Mammal Observer, each day looks more or less the same. The role of the MMO is to help prevent auditory injury to marine mammals. So, a typical day onboard an operating vessel consists of scanning the sea for marine mammals, using binoculars or just my eyes.
In good weather, I do my job from the deck, which is amazing because you can see and hear animals. For example, I’ve heard dolphins whistle as they were bowriding (following the boat).
The day also gets broken up by crew meetings, meals, shift handovers, and daily report writing. Aside from work, there is also time to be active in the ship’s gym, socialise with the crew, do laundry, watch a film, or read before going to bed after a long shift.
When I am back home and in between jobs, I have a lot of free time. After my first job I found it difficult to find structure when I returned to shore, but I also found it gave me opportunities to pursue other activities.
At home, I live in a converted van on a small farm, so I have lots of green fields around me and help where I can. I do a lot of sports with friends – bouldering, running, hiking, and surfing. I also volunteer with the RSPCA Wildlife Centre, helping in the intensive care unit for rescued seal pups, and I am involved in the IMarEST Marine Mammal Special Interest Group.
My proudest moment
I was very proud to have been awarded an A on my MSc thesis on harbour porpoise distribution. Working with my dissertation supervisors, Prof. Peter Evans and Dr. James Waggitt paved the way to my marine mammal career so far.
My biggest lesson
Certain job titles might give you recognition, but the role itself may not be fulfilling your needs or your purpose.
My advice to anyone starting out in their career
If you have a vision of what you want to be one day, don’t judge it, no matter how unattainable it might look at the time – there is a chance that you might just do exactly that one day. Stay focused on this, and don’t worry if you take some turns that deviate from the path.
