What did the off-season look like for you?
Well, I was abroad for most of it, made a quick visit to my family back in Brazil, and then spent two months in the Argentine Patagonia as a volunteer with “Projeto Patagonia Azul” from Rewilding Argentina.
I got to work with many marine species, including humpback whales, Sei whales, the seven-gilled broad-nosed shark, Magellanic penguins, southern giant petrels, and more. Was amazing to learn and contribute to the maintenance and conservation of such a beautiful and ecologically important marine park.
Did you complete any new certifications or training? OR What’s something new you learned this off-season?
I did not complete any new certification, per se, but I gained many new skills in Patagonia, including tagging a wide variety of animals for identification and tracking. Those skills vary widely and require different techniques when tagging a penguin, a shark, or a whale. I also learned how to collect whale biopsies, improved my bird identification skills, and even learned to drive a tractor.
I learned a lot there, and I’m super excited to share with our guests. I guess this experience lets me share more insights with our guests about real marine conservation initiatives and techniques underway right now.
I also got to see a whole different population of humpback whales performing very different behaviours. For example, there they feed and can spend many days, weeks, or months in the park, not in a hurry to get anywhere.
When I got there, I said, “Wow, these look like a completely different species”, as I was so used to how they behave here in Sydney. I got to see firsthand how much these animals change from one population to another and from migration routes to feeding grounds.
As I always tell our guests, these animals have a very dynamic culture and a wide range of behaviour, and I finally got to see a new side of that firsthand.
What are you hoping guests take away from their experience this season?
My goals haven’t changed; I hope every single person gets off the boat at least 1% more interested in protecting our oceans and with a greater admiration for these amazing creatures. I hope we can provide amazing, life-changing encounters and that people can leave the boat as mesmerised by our planet and the animals we share Earth with as I am. I am aware these are big goals, but that is really what I try to convey every time, and I hope the combination of my hopeful messages with the presence and simple sightings of whales in their natural habitat can change the way people choose to live in this world. I hope the recovery of humpback history can inspire people not to give up on any animal that still persists in this changing world.
I want guests this season to experience more than a whale-watching tour, but an educational, emotional adventure to connect with one of the biggest (and most amazing) animals on our planet and learn how they can help protect them.
