Making friends with an albatross

Self-portrait on Marion Island - spending a friendly moment with a wandering albatross.

The Ellen Khuzwayo

The research vessel Ellen Khuzwayo off robben Island.

Baiting hooks

Researchers prepare a shark longline with baited hooks during a research cruise.

Cowshark in cradle

A broadnose sevengill cow shark is lifted on a cradle before being tagged and released.

Testing fish cage

Researchers deploy an experimental fish cage designed to retain tagged fish next to the vessel.

Inserting an internal pit tag

A researcher carefully inserts a small pit tag in a fish called a seventy four.

Shark research- measuring

Measuring a smoothhound shark prior to tagging and releasing.

Shark tag

A tagged broadnose sevengill cowshark showing growth on the tag after a few years at sea.

Deploying a trawl net

Starting a demersal research trawl from the RV Africana.

Deepsea shark teeth

The jaws of a small Etmopterus deepwater shark. They occur in depths of 200 to 500 metres.

Measuring rock lobster

Researchers measuring and recording biological data on west coast rock lobster.

Barotrauma on line fish

The result of rapidly bringing fish to the surface is often damage to the swim bladder.

Releasing for science

A smoothhound shark being released from its cradle after having been measured and tagged.

Otolith extraction

The otoloiths, or ear bones of a large red steenbras. These are used to determine the age of fish.

humpback whale stranding

Researchers carry out measurements on a dead stranded humpback whale.

Genetic sampling

Taking samples for genetic records of a dead, stranded humpback whale.

A messy business

Researchers try to determine the cause of death of a stranded humpback whale.

Researchers on Marion Island

Colleagues pause for a moment while undertaking a seabird census on Marion Island, December 2010.

Planning a route

A researcher pauses to plan a route through a penguin colony during the seabird census.

Tricky transfer

My job as a boat skipper was to ensure safe delivery of researchers and equipment onto the Prince Edward islands.