Laura Dennis

After spending a couple of trips as a co-opted member I joined Ocean Wildlife Encounters as a permanent team member in July 2022. I'm a full-time ecologist and Co-owner/Director of Anser Ecology Ltd. I graduated in BSc Zoology at Edinburgh University and later completed my MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation at Leeds University. These days I'm a seasoned traveler across the oceans, ranging from the Arctic right down to the sub-Antarctic. I love all wildlife but my main passion is birds, with a particular soft spot for owls. As part of my spare time volunteering I conduct surveys and monitor the breeding success of Barn Owls in the Cheshire region of the UK.
 

In a relatively short period of time I've gained first-hand experience of a very significant proportion of the worlds seabirds as well as extensive experience with a large proportion of the world’s cetacean species and this helps me to confidently spot and identify the fabulous ocean wildlife we encounter from the decks of the ocean liners. It's hugely satisfying to enable so many people to get fabulous views of some of the planets most sought after species. In my paid working life I'm an experienced Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping practitioner and with this skill I'm able to help the team to plot our many marine wildlife encounters.