Celeste - Assistant cook | Home | Miguel - Cook (possibly most important person on ship)

My first trip on a Greenpeace ship was to the southern ocean, for an anti-whaling campaign in 2001. I can honestly say for most of that trip I had no idea how the ship actually ran. Now I know port from starboard, and have even been allowed into the engine room to start the engines. I know which way up to hold a chart and can climb [effortlessly?] up and down the pilot ladder from the inflatable boats to the ship. I even know where there there's a secret stash of chocolate.

I'm from New Zealand and have always loved the sea, so the chance to work for Greenpeace on the oceans campaign was like a dream come true. I've been working for Greenpeace for seven years, mostly in New Zealand but for the last two and a half years in London. For the Defending Our Oceans campaign I've been leading the work on pirate fishing in the Atlantic and West Africa. This is the first time I have been out to sea during the 'summer' time - not having frozen hands and feet when you return to the ship from hours in the inflatables is a novel and welcome experience.

You never quite know how a trip will work out when you're leaving home to join the ship. For this one I hope that we are able to expose the illegal boats that are stealing fish from the waters of West Africa and show people back in Europe the real price of the shrimp salad they might be ordering. And I also really hope that I get to see a turtle.

- Sarah