“I Forgot My Camera Charger… During a Whale Bonanza” скачать в хорошем качестве

“I Forgot My Camera Charger… During a Whale Bonanza”

Ep43: Sara Bisset - Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) operator In this episode of Deck Tales, I'm chatting with Sara Bisset, a Scotland-based seafarer who’s spent the last decade working offshore as a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) operator—basically, someone paid to protect whales and dolphins from noisy marine construction and exploration work. Sara breaks down how mitigation works during operations like seismic surveys, wind farm piling, and even disposal of unexploded WWII ordnance, and explains what happens when marine life enters an exclusion zone (spoiler: everything can stop, and it can cost a fortune). Beyond the job, Sara shares the reality of freelance life at sea—project-to-project contracts, chasing agencies, and the strange feeling of having long stretches of freedom while everyone else works 9–5. She also dives into memorable wildlife encounters, like spotting an elusive beaked whale species, and living through near-constant humpback sightings off Gabon… right after forgetting her camera charger. Key takeaways What MMOs & PAM operators actually do: They visually and acoustically monitor for marine mammals during noisy offshore operations and can trigger delays/shutdowns depending on rules and location. Big misconception: It’s not “watching whales for fun”—it’s compliance, mitigation, and high-stakes decision-making tied to permits, law, and massive costs. The lifestyle is ultra-flexible… and oddly lonely: Freelancing means feast-or-famine contracts, lots of admin between jobs, and time off that doesn’t always sync with friends’ lives. Best moments at sea are unforgettable: Rare beaked whale encounters and endless humpback sightings show why people get “itchy feet” to return offshore. The industry is shifting: More wind farm work is replacing older oil & gas reliance, and remote monitoring tech (and AI) is slowly reshaping the job. Hopefully you're enjoying DeckTales so far. If so, please do smash that like button, share your favourite episodes with your friends, and subscribe of course! #seadogs #shipwrecks #podcastersunite #shipstories 👇 Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Deck Tales 02:05 Life Offshore vs Desk Jobs 05:20 Living in Scotland & Island Life 08:40 Music, Accents & Scottish Banter 12:55 How Sarah Got Into Offshore Work 17:10 What Is a Marine Mammal Observer? 24:45 Oil, Gas, Wind Farms & Ocean Noise 31:40 Freelance Contracts & Rotations 38:15 Breaking Into the Industry 44:10 Time Off & Studying Ashore 49:55 Life on Offshore Ships 54:50 Music & Camaraderie at Sea 59:45 Whale & Dolphin Encounters 1:06:30 Marine Conservation Matters 1:11:30 Shutdowns & Exclusion Zones 1:17:05 AI & the Future of Marine Monitoring 1:21:55 Advice for Working at Sea To see clips of all our guests you can follow us on: Facebook:   / decktalesofficial   Instagram:   / decktalespodcast  . TikTok:   / decktales   For all links you can head to the official website: https://www.decktales.co.uk If you wish to support the page you can leave a welcome donation at: https://ko-fi.com/decktales And if you wish to read or listen to my first book, you can buy a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seems-Like-S... Special Thanks To: Tom Hunt @teghunt Dan Smith https://www.elephantmedia.co