A Story of the North: Memoirs of a Whale Watching Guide

BY ELLEN DE WILDE

I think it is what I liked the most about being a whale watching guide. Being directly on the frontline between science and ‘real life’.”

My last two summers were spent where I like to be the most - by the ocean, or even better, on the ocean. 

 Now, if you have been reading other testimonies of all the amazing women on WOS and WMC, it might slightly surprise you what I am doing here. I haven’t collected data for an important research project, nor was I part of a conservation program. No, I was working as a mere guide. Handing out ocean sickness bags and helping people on board of the ship like a stewardess. And you know what? I just might have had the time of my life.

 Last summer in particular, I spent time in Andenes, the northernmost point of Vesterålen in Norway at 69 degrees latitude. My working days consisted of giving guided tours in the whale museum and accompanying the visitors on the whale safari trips on the ship.“

I loved the combination of a museum tour prior to the whale safari itself. The purpose is to educate the visitors first; this way they can learn about what they will see on the ocean and get more enjoyment from it. You can maybe compare it to watching a really good concert from an artist you know and can sing along to, or that same amazing concert from an artist you have never heard of before. Which one are you going to enjoy most?

 My favourite parts of the tour were without doubt explaining the classification of whales, breezing over some palaeontology, getting friendly with the skeletons while explaining some anatomy and taking a few minutes to explain human disturbance of the ocean and plastic pollution.

And oh, the whales! It’s even difficult to put into words what happens when you see them. It makes you forget everything else in the world for a moment. Only you and that majestic being exist for a while. It feels so unreal and very real at the same time. Like seeing something of magic, something you read about in a fairy-tale but at the same time, there is a very existent animal just before you. It doesn’t matter if you see them a thousand times! I still get mesmerised and filled with awe as I observe the beauty of our mother planet.

In my opinion, a good guided tour is one given on the level of the people. Even if that means setting aside your pride as a scientist and oversimplifying certain things. The larger message has to be communicated: What is ocean health, how is everything connected between each other and how can humans have a balanced role when interacting with marine ecosystems? After our visitors see a whale in the wild, see how real all of it is, this message is so much better remembered. You just might have contributed to real behavioural changes. Every single person that makes more conscious life choices contributes to a better world.

The reason I empathize with ‘levelling with the people’ is because traditionally, scientists aim for a more mentally demanding job, whether it is in academia or in the business world. There is enjoyment in being smart right? Please don’t misunderstand me when I say that there can be pressure (maybe even a little bit of ego involved too) in wanting to be the smartest, to write the best papers, to be involved in the best research projects, and to get published. 

 At least that’s how I grew up. School and good grades were priority number one. I have to admit, I suffered a small trauma when it was decided that there was for sure something wrong with me, just because my average school results were a 7/10 when I was 7 years old. I mean, a 7-year-old who doesn’t like to sit still for hours a time? Give her a label of attention deficit disorder (ADD) with corresponding medication and force her to function in the system. Hanging up her entire self-worth on how good she does in school. Remember that cartoon of a school system that promises to treat everyone equal, by subjecting everyone to the same test? Being that test to climb a tree. You can see why a monkey would feel right at home in a system like that, being appreciated and everything. You could also see why, in that same system, a fish would believe itself worthless. I am that fish. 

So yes, I still feel shame in not being the smartest. Heck, half the reason for getting my master’s degree was to prove that I was worthy, that I was smart enough. But I can’t fool myself any longer. I have to be true to myself. That is why we have to recognise the shadow side of the scientific world. It is a very brave thing to do, especially in today’s world where you have to be a ninja not to offend anyone. 

 Thus, I think it is great to bring more attention to, by lack of a better word, ‘simpler’ jobs. Jobs that are also about enjoyment, about pleasure for the sake of pleasure. Jobs like being a whale watching guide. How I love being on the ocean! The sound of the water, the thousand reflections of the water, catching the waves with your knees while you walk the ship. I feel right at home on that rocking ship in the North Atlantic Ocean.

We need more educators, more scientists who are willing to build a bridge between science and the general public. More scientists who are willing to get down from the high ladder and level with everyone who hasn’t had the same education and experience as they had. Because after acquiring knowledge, it can be so easy to forget that not everything is common knowledge. I think it is what I liked the most about being a whale watching guide. Being directly on the frontline between science and ‘real life’. It is very rewarding to teach the basics to people, to raise interest for our natural world and to put a spark in them. Who knows, maybe the general care for our nature can improve.

 As wonderful as it is to bring people into contact with the ocean and raise environmental awareness, not everyone is going to be as responsive as you would like them to be. It takes some persistence and resilience to stay as enthusiastic and motivated in your message, day in and day out. For example, some people come with the only purpose of getting a good photograph of a marine mammal. Having absolutely no interest in actually learning something. As soon as they acquire said picture, they have no further interest in looking at the ocean, even though the trip will take another three hours. And then you have those who put on their cell phone screens as if they were glasses. Not once looking with their actual eyes, but catching the whole trip in a wobbly cell phone-video.

 But then, there are the people with whom you have the best conversations. Apparently, the ocean horizon is the perfect decor for having a talk about life. Those people who come with genuine interest, with that twinkle of curiosity in their eyes. Those people could make my day, my week, my month. Because they made me remember why I was doing this job in the first place. To raise awareness, for the environment, for science, and for connection.  

Getting into this position didn't come easy for me though. It took me some time to figure out which degrees and skills I needed to get jobs like this. So, especially for those with the same ambition, I will give you my five best tips.

Before I get into it, I want to include a little disclaimer. Everything I will tell you is based on personal experiences and what I saw around me. So, it might be that other guides will give you completely different tips!

 I will start with the obvious. In the vast majority of cases, you will need an education. Most likely a master’s education. You don’t necessarily need to be graduated though. I have met people who are still pursuing their university master’s degree while being a guide during summer. Your education doesn’t necessarily have to be in marine mammal sciences either. It can perfectly be some other biology or marine science degree. 

 Aside from your education, you will have to know something about marine mammals. You need to have a certain degree of knowledge about their history, classification, anatomy, biology and sociology. People will ask you the craziest questions about whales. So, you better have a pile of facts somewhere stocked in your brain. Besides having a lot of knowledge, you need to have a sincere passion for marine mammals. This way, you won’t even mind explaining the same things over and over.

 Then, for most jobs, but not all, you will need some maritime safety certificates. This will depend on whether or not guides are calculated as part of the crew on board. Either way, having those certificates will help you find a job easier. It is also very interesting for yourself  because they will make you more at ease with a responsible function on a ship. I’m specifically talking about the STCW Basic Training and the STCW Crisis Management and Human Behaviour.

 My fourth tip is to have some previous experience as a guide. This can come in various ways. As a volunteer in a scouts or other organisation that travels with kids, as a sports teacher or a mountain bike guide. Even previous work in tourism can be helpful.

But the most important tip I could ever give you is this: Knowing several languages. You will most likely need to be sufficient in at least 2 languages besides English. Bonus points if your native language is a major tourist language such as German, Spanish, French or Chinese. More bonus points if you can speak the language of the country you are working in. If you are only fluent in one language, you will not be the best person for the job.

 I think being a whale watching guide is an extremely fun and rewarding job. It is certainly a place where scientists can find their calling. You might not be getting a medal for best scientist, but serving as a catalysator between ocean science and the general public might just be the next best thing. 

 At least I’m proud of it as hell. 

 Are you curious about more of my babbling? I have a blog-website and recently started a YouTube channel too. If you just like to see pretty things, you can stalk me on Instagram.