Ocean’s Heaven

It’s been nearly eight months but I can still feel the heat of the Costa Rican sun. Still feel the gentle swell rolling the small, wooden blue boat. Still see that brilliant blue sky scudded with white clouds meeting the horizon and merging into the deeper blue of an ocean that changes to green closer … More Ocean’s Heaven

Dolphins of course

‘I must be crazy’. ‘What am I doing’. The thoughts chased round in my head as I navigated the winding roads of North Wales in the pitch black. It was early, still dark. No other drivers on the road. ‘I must be crazy’. ‘What am I doing’. I had woken us all at ridiculous o’clock, … More Dolphins of course

Beaky Blinders

Beaked whales. Those elusive, little known toothed whales. Odd looking, with strangely shaped mouth lines, few or no teeth, and even then its only males where the teeth erupt through the lower jaw protruding like tusks. Pelagic species, found in the open ocean over deep water habitat. These are some if the deepest diving species, … More Beaky Blinders

Where I Belong

I was standing on the very familiar deck 10 if Brittany Ferries Pont Aven as she steamed out of Plymouth heading into the English Channel. A breeze tugs at my hair and jacket like an incessant toddler wanting my attention. The sky is clear and blue, the sun casting a molten gold that shimmers across … More Where I Belong

Dolphins in Aber

The sea is like molten silver. Pearly grey, sparkling where the sun peeks through the high cloud cover. The water is calm, not a ripple to be seen. To the south the grey green coastline drifts away into a hazy horizon. To the north the clouds have split, spilling sunshine and blue sky onto the land … More Dolphins in Aber

The Weather Window

A tumultuous grey green sea crashes onto the sand rolling with white foaming crests that create bubbles that are blown up the beach. The sky overhead is pale grey. Along the beach a hidden forest is revealed by the low tide. Draped in brown and green seaweed are the preserved remains of ancient trees. Thousands … More The Weather Window

A tribute to Popz

In 2005, fresh out of University, I went to the Isle of Mull to work with Sea Life Surveys. One of the UK’s first whale watching companies, Sea Life Surveys had been set up by Richard Fairbairns in 1982. At the same time, with advice from whale biologists, he set up the Mull Cetacean Project. … More A tribute to Popz

On the trail of whales

The boat cruised out into the stretch of water between the mainland of Shetland and the island of Bressay. Behind us was the built up, bustling, urban landscape of Lerwick and in front the rocky shoreline, moors, grassland and occasional buildings of Bressay. The boat stopped, gently bobbing up and down with the swell and … More On the trail of whales