Marine Life & Conservation
A Summer Sailing the North Sea
After finishing my masters degree in Marine Biology last November, in March this year I began working for the whale and dolphin charity ORCA (Organisation Cetacea). ORCA have been working with international ferry operator DFDS Seaways by placing Wildlife Officers on-board the DFDS King Seaways for nine years in an effort to educate passengers about and survey the wildlife rich waters of the North Sea. This is the second season I have worked for ORCA; in the spring of 2014 I spent three months in a voluntary capacity on a Brittany Ferries ship in the Bay of Biscay.
Surveying from the DFDS King Seaways.
This year working on the King Seaways travelling between Newcastle and Amsterdam I was the Senior Wildlife Officer. Alongside running the Wildlife Centre on-board, I was also responsible for the training of our Wildlife Officer Placement Volunteers who ranged from recent graduates to those looking at changing careers.
My favourite part of my job had to have been providing opportunities for passengers to see their first whale or dolphin! Seeing someone’s reaction when they spot their first whale or dolphin is very special, even more so when they never expected to see an animal in the North Sea.
Passengers looking out for whales and dolphins.
A large proportion of the general public do not realise the extent of wildlife that can be observed in the North Sea. This isn’t just our magnificent whales and dolphins but a whole variety of bird life can also be spotted while sailing.
A gannet, one of our most commonly spotted bird species in the North Sea.
Since 2007 on our route between Newcastle and Amsterdam 10 species of cetacean have been positively identified, ranging from the tiny harbour porpoise to the second largest animal on the planet; the mighty fin whale. The three most common species that we spot however are the harbour porpoise, white-beaked dolphin and minke whale. Also this year we have seen bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins and Atlantic white-sided dolphins!
School students learning about the array of wildlife in the North Sea.
With the crossing being overnight we spend a lot of our time in the ORCA Wildlife Centre located on the ship. This for me is a wonderful space. It allows us to provide a wide range of fun and engaging environmental education for all passengers from 2 to 102 about North Sea wildlife and the marine environment with plenty of audience participation.
I have said my favourite part of this job is watching people’s faces light up with excitement when they first spot a whale or dolphin. A close second would be the dawn of understanding on a child’s face when they learn something new about our oceans. whether that be through conversation, games, or experimentation!
A brilliant new addition to the ORCA Wildlife Centre this year was ‘Debris’ the Marine Litter Porpoise! Created entirely out of rubbish that we collected from beaches around the North East coastline during early Spring this year. Debris is entirely made from the litter collected… no wire frame, or hollow inside; in fact the only thing on her not cleared from beaches is the glue holding her together! I love her, and she makes such an impact to everyone that sees her! She is a life size harbour porpoise. When people first look at her their response is “oh look at the multicoloured porpoise”… they then look a bit closet and start to realise what she is made of. I like to describe her as beautiful, yet terrifying. This is a unique and beautiful piece of art created by an environmental marine artist, writer, teacher and TV presenter Izzy Moreau. This may be a beautiful piece of art, but also a terrifying piece of art when you start to realise the quantity and variety of litter that ‘Debris’ is created from!
‘Debris’ the Marine Litter Porpoise in the Wildlife Centre on-board the DFDS King Seaways.
I have loved being out at sea this year and can’t wait to get back out to sea again soon! If you fancy reading more about my time on-board the DFDS King Seaways this summer you can read ORCA’s North Sea blog here.
Do you fancy getting involved? You can find out more about ORCA’s work and how you could get involved here.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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