Working as a Fisheries Observer in the South Atlantic

On the 3rd of April 1998 I left London for Cape Town to join a deep-sea longliner that was heading off to fish in the waters around South Georgia. At this time of year, in this area, longliners are trying to catch the Patagonian Toothfish - probably one of the ugliest fish in the sea and definately not one of the tastiest! The ship had been delayed in port by beaurocracy and repairs. All vessels fishing in the South Georgia EEZ must carry a CCAMLAR fisheries observer - they had been waiting for me to arrive for two days. Since the fishing season had already started around South Georgia the Spanish captain was eager to set off. A few hours after landing in Africa, for the first time in my life, I was heading west towards the roaring forties in a boat not much larger than an Aberdeen trawler.

The journey to south Georgia was pretty uneventful, I spent the two weeks getting to know the crew and learning my way around the ship. The crew were truly multi-national - Spanish, South African, Namibian, Chilean, Portuguese and one Scot.

Perhaps 'uneventful' isn't quite the word I was looking for. On the way over we did experience some fairly miserable weather. Its unpleasantness was exacerbated by the failure of the autopilot (which meant that the officer on watch had to concentrate; when he didn't the ship ended up lying lengthwise along the waves). I could lie in bed some nights an listen for the change of shift. As the officers had a quick chat, and concentration waned, I would listen for the noise of flying saucepans from the galley. Another problem that made life interesting was the occasional need to shut down the engines to clean the oil filters. This would happen at a moments notice, whatever the prevailing weather and sea conditions. I don't usually get sea-sick but, on these occasions, I felt a chill sweat accross my forehead and often retreated to my cabin, confident that if I shut my eyes and hid under the blankets, that I was safe and everything would improve within a few hours.

However horrible and tedious the journey over the Atlantic was, it was worth it just to catch a glimpse of South Georgia. I think it is the most beautiful place I have ever been to. My photographs, as usual, can do it no justice - they don't catch the silence, clarity of the air, the deep colour of the sea or that feeling of being an ant crawling accross a football field.

Tell me More - - - - - - - - - - - Enough Already!