We occasionally send reader questions to this marine expert, who overcame her claustrophobia and signed up for a scuba-diving course nearly 30 years ago. Since then, she has contributed significantly to the knowledge base of our underwater world.
Where does your love of the outdoors come from?
I grew up on the Highveld, so perhaps it was seaside holidays. A day at the beach was the most wonderful thing! I began to notice what lived in the rock pools and what got thrown up on the beach, and I read lots of Gerald Durrell.
How would you describe your profession?
I always battle with this one when I have to fill in forms… I end up falling back on “naturalist” – the old-fashioned term for a person who observes and records the natural world and tries to make sense of it.
A typical day might involve setting up my camera and heading out to do several dives, noting all animals and behaviours I see and processing the images at home.
When I’m at my desk, I might be writing up a diving course or a lecture, or working on an article about marine life. Or finding out about the life cycle of any number of marine animals. My desk time is evenly divided between research and writing.
Best part of your job?
Discovering unknown species and behaviours and seeing or noticing things that no one has seen or noticed before. I also enjoy interacting with marine animals: A conversation with an octopus, a fish that will nestle in the palm of my hand or getting a shot of a swiftly moving sea butterfly.
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