Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary

Since 2021, I have been visiting Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary in Shetland, supporting the rehabilitation of seals and otters.
I feel very lucky to have discovered the sanctuary and to be involved in numerous projects and events over the recent years. 

One such project included excavating the skeleton of a Killer Whale called Linga, named after the island she became stranded upon in 2017. My aim is to continue recording Linga’s story, which will eventually be repurposed as educational content for the sanctuary, who intend to display the articulated bones for people visiting Hillswick.  

I have also been able to support Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS), who carried out a post-mortem of a porpoise whilst I was staying at the sanctuary. Understanding the overall health of our oceans is a huge challenge for scientists, so one of the best ways to address this is by monitoring and performing post-mortems on wildlife that wash up on our shores. 

My connection with the sanctuary has given me a unique experience of the island as well as the opportunity to photograph it's abundant wildlife and natural beauty.  I have been able to use my skills as a Photography and Video Producer to produce print/online content to help raise awareness of marine wildlife and support the sanctuary's fundraising objectives.