The main focus of Andrew Wright’s job right now is to help to minimise the impacts of seismic surveys on marine mammals.
Continue Reading...Archives For 30/11/1999
Don’t get too close! It’s no laughing matter…
Today’s photo—of penguins observing a leopard seal in Antarctica—gives us our prompt to remind you to take care when in the vicinity of seals and sea lions.
Around this time of the year, leopard seals can come to rest on shore.
Over the past week two leopard seals have been spotted on New Zealand beaches.
This is a rare treat, but also no cause for alarm—they are generally not in trouble and don’t need help.
“Leopard seals usually have weepy eyes, snotty noses, and look thin, and this is quite normal. The only concern would be if they had a large wound or were entangled in something,” says DOC ranger Steve Harraway.
Although charismatic, leopard seals are wild animals and should be treated with respect. Keep in mind that these animals are very large, with powerful jaws, and can be unpredictable.
Below are some simple guidelines to follow when watching seals and sea lions so as not to compromise your safety or that of the animals:
- Always stay at least 20 metres from seals. Allow them space if they are active.
- Do not disturb seals. Don’t make loud noises or throw objects in their vicinity.
- Always keep dogs and small children under control and away from seals.
- Never attempt to touch or handle a seal. They can be aggressive if threatened.
- You can also catch diseases from seals through their skin, sneezes, coughs and barks, and you may also carry diseases that can transfer to them and make them ill.
- Do not feed any seal.
If you see a leopard seal you should call your local DOC office or 0800DOCHOT—particularly if you see someone harassing one. It is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act to injure, harass or disturb a marine mammal.
Photo: ravas51 | flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
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Come behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Today we profile Nadine Bott, Project Leader for the Cook Strait Whale Project based in Wellington.
At work
Collecting biopsy samples of humpback whales
Some things I do in my job include:
I’m currently overseeing the Cook Strait whale project. Before going on maternity leave in 2012 I was with DOC for almost 10 years working in the marine and freshwater teams. My role at the moment involves keeping the project afloat, organising the logistics of the whale survey, undertaking the research and then writing up the season’s work. The research involves spotting for humpback whales from a land based lookout on East Head of Tory Channel, going out in the DOC Kaikoura boat ‘Titi’ and approaching the whales to take photo identification samples of the tail flukes and biopsy skin samples for DNA analysis.
This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:
It is a collaborative project with the community and business with considerable volunteer support, while achieving (hopefully!) a greater understanding of humpback whales to aid in their conservation, management and protection.
The best bit about my job is:
Working with a variety of different people within DOC and externally, working with whales and having an ‘office’ in a pretty spectacular place.
The awesome-est DOC moment I’ve had so far is:
While working in the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands. Pretty hard place to beat in terms of ‘awesome-est’. I would love to go back one day.
Measuring Chatham Island mudfish – an endemic poorly known freshwater fish
The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is:
I would have to say the RMA planners that I worked with, Sarah Bagnall, Janice Duncan and Claire Graeme – three incredibly smart, enquiring, passionate and courageous women. Another would be Roy Grose, an inspiring leader loved by his community and who has always been supportive and instrumental in getting the whale survey up and running. I have great respect for the rangers in the field who give their heart, energy and time to conservation with little reward or expectation of reward.
On a personal note…
The song that always cheers me up is:
At the moment it is Birdy ‘Light me up’.
My greatest sporting moment was when:
While walking 100 kilometres for Oxfam I remember complaining that my burst blisters hurt more than childbirth and a lady who overheard my comment said ‘you obviously haven’t given birth’. My naive response was ‘you obviously haven’t walked 100 kilometres on burst blisters’.
Photo identification of humpback whales in Cook Strait
In my spare time:
I don’t have any.
If I could be any New Zealand native species I’d be:
I have a few favourite animal species but I like to be warm and they all seem to live in cold water.
Before working at DOC:
I worked at Massey University doing autopsies on stranded and bycaught marine mammals.
At WOMAD with my family: David, Dayananda (2) and Aroha (3 months)
Deep and meaningful…
My favourite quote is:
“Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given:
That I can do it and not to listen to skeptics.
In work and life I am motivated by:
Compassion, selflessness, people in action
My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:
Stand up for what you believe in.
With Carlos Olavarria and Joe Heberley (ex-whaler from Perano Whaling Station) looking for humpbacks
Question of the week…
What is your favourite marine mammal and why?
A tricky question because every species I have worked on has had its unique strength or endearing characteristic. I would probably have to say southern right whales because when I worked with them it was in the Auckland Islands where they were breeding and this is a pretty spectacular site plus there were calves which are incredibly cute. The whales were interactive, gentle and very visible with lots of breaching, tail slapping and rolling around on the water surface. It is easy to see how they were hunted so effectively by shore based whalers leading to their near extinction.
Live audio conferencing with schools as part of the LEARNZ Wandering Whales virtual field trip
Come behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Today we profile Hannah Hendriks, Marine Conservation Technician, based in DOC’s National Office in Wellington…
Swimming in Island Bay, Wellington
At work
Some things I do in my job include:
Being the point of contact in National Office for the operational side of marine mammal sightings and incidents, including managing and maintaining the data associated with these.
I have been involved with getting our Maui’s dolphin sightings and incidents data out of spreadsheets and into a geospatial database—wider marine mammal data is the next step in this process.
I am also responsible for improving the availability of our data and information to the public as well as updating and distributing our awareness resources. Plus a bit of everything else.
Embracing the weather in Doubtful Sound
This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:
Improving the knowledge and public awareness of marine mammal conservation issues and making our data collection process more time efficient and higher in quality so it can inform conservation management of our threatened species.
The best bit about my job is:
Having fun on Kapiti Island during the intern field trip
Working with such amazing, kind, and inspiring people (directly in National Office and through phone and email contact with district offices and field bases).
The awesome-est DOC moment I’ve had so far is:
Working with the American students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on their raising awareness of Maui’s dolphin project.
Such an awesome group of energetic, enthusiastic and bright students with some absolutely wonderful ideas.
Their ‘Rounded fin? Send it in!’ slogan is better than anything we could have come up with!
Also, our intern field trip to Kapiti Island—beautiful place and inspiring rangers. Was good to get our hands dirty.
The DOC employee that inspires or enthuses me most is…
It’s hard to pick one…being so new means that everyone inspires me! Especially those rangers who do the hard and hands on work on the coasts dealing with whale strandings etc.
But, if I had to pick one, it would have to be my supervisor, Laura Boren. There is so much marine mammal knowledge stored in that brain, she knows how to deal with every situation and that is what I want to be able to do at some point in the future.
I stood in her shoes to some degree while she was in Africa for a month, which was daunting to say the least.
I also have to mention Katie Clemens because she is like Wonder Woman.
Doing the Tongariro Crossing as a child. Something I really want to do again
On a personal note…
The song that always cheers me up is…
I ended up changing this answer three times (have you noticed I’m not very decisive?) so I’ll just give you all of them—Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz, One more Time by Daft Punk and Breezeblocks by Alt-J.
The best piece of news I’ve heard lately is:
My contract was getting extended past the internship programme period; and compliments from a ranger saying that I did a good job dealing with a whale stranding while I was holding down the fort for Laura.
My secret indulgence is:
Disney and Pixar movies and music.
If I wasn’t working at DOC, I’d like to…
Well ever since I was little I wanted to be a zoo keeper and I think I would still like to do that.
Before working at DOC:
I was doing my Masters in Marine Conservation at Victoria University which gave me some awesome experiences such as going to Heron Island to experience some tropical conservation topics and doing some field science in the beautiful Doubtful Sound.
Sunset on Heron Island, in the southern Great Barrier Reef
So I guess I was one of the lucky ones to jump straight out of study (actually while I was still studying!) into specifically what I wanted to do. Dream job.
Deep and meaningful…
Graduating my Masters in December, with my dad
My favourite quote is…
I don’t know if this is a quote but “Just do it”. It might sound cheesy but it is very appropriate if you’re like me and get anxious at the prospect of doing new things.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is:
Don’t spend your money paying off more of your interest free student loan than you need to. Spend your extra money on travels and experiences. Hello Alaska in June!
In work and life I am motivated by:
Basically I just try my best to make the most of my time doing things I enjoy and to not waste opportunities (that’s how I got here).
My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:
Go out and do something in nature, even if it is small, it will increase your passion and awareness for New Zealand’s natural environment.
Question of the week…
What’s the kindest thing that someone has ever done for you?
One of the kindest things I can think of that has affected my life is how both my step parents treat me like their own family and support me in everything I do and make my life very pleasant! Plus they are both taking me overseas in the near future and if that’s not kind then I don’t know what is!
Come behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Today we profile Callum Lilley, Biodiversity Ranger in Taranaki.
At work
Feeding time for New Zealand dotterel/tūturiwhatu
Some things I do in my job include… marine reserve monitoring, maintaining marine reserve infrastructure, compliance, marine mammal work, making recommendations on a range of things such as Resource Management Act consent applications/renewals, permits, seismic survey impact assessments, writing management plans, reports, public relations material, providing advice and information on marine matters, liaising/working with community groups, iwi, other stakeholders, bird rescue, assisting with fire responses, and helping out in other areas when called upon.
This helps achieve DOC’s vision by… helping to look after our natural heritage, and working with others to do so too.
The best bit about my job is… getting out on the water (particularly if marine mammals or diving are involved), and the occasional opportunity to go away on an adventure.
Deploying baited underwater video equipment, Tapuae Marine Reserve
The funniest DOC moment I’ve had so far is… a pest fish scare. The threats team in New Plymouth thought they would invite the Taranaki Daily News along to watch them catch a “koi carp” (to raise awareness about pest fish). The orange shape they had previously observed in a murky river turned out to be a road cone. It was an amusing article and it took up half of page (including a large colour photo). The rest of the office got a lot of mileage out of it.
The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is… Bill Fleury. There are so many people I could choose from, but one of them is Bill. I appreciate his understanding of all levels of the Department (having worked in positions ranging from on the ground to providing strategic advice on a myriad of matters). He has exceptional analytical skills and great demeanour (as an aside, some say that I model my desk on Bill’s).
Surfing tropical waters, Frigates – Fiji
On a personal note…
The song that always cheers me up is… ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley.
My stomping ground is… coastal Taranaki. It’s where I grew up and where I love to spend time. It has good fishing, isolated beaches, great waves, the Stony River/Hangatahua, a friend/whanau base and the best view of Maunga Taranaki.
My best ever holiday was… a three week trip to Fiji a couple of years ago. Emily and I busted out of a cold Taranaki winter into the tropics for some epic diving, surfing, fishing, eating, drinking and exploring.
If I wasn’t working at DOC, I’d like to… start a microbrewery.
Before working at DOC I… studied (BSc – Zoology, MSc – Marine Science), worked on a computer help desk, worked as a block-layer’s labourer building a rugby stadium, and taught English in South Korea.
View of Mt Taranaki from “Graveyards” surf break
Deep and meaningful…
My favourite quote is… “Give the laziest person the hardest job and they’ll find the easiest way to do it”. Not sure who first said it, or whether it is really true, but a great quote none the less.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is… be nice to people.
In work and life I am motivated by… people that are fun to be around, whilst still cracking on and getting a job done.
My conservation advice to New Zealanders is… live modestly and outsource less. Grow your own food, cook from scratch, brew your own beverages (reuse glass and no longer worry about what the neighbours think on recycling day), pickle and preserve, hunt and eat pests… as much as you can, go back to basics.
Southern right whale/tohora mother and calf, Whanganui
Question of the week…
As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up? A pilot or an electrician, until I was told they were no longer options as I was colour blind. However, I wanted to be a marine scientist from when I was about 10 years old.
Um… could we please have our boat back? Hoiho survey, Auckland Islands
