Marine scientist Melanie Wells says she can’t believe her luck.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a few weeks, the former Deakin University marine biology student will set foot on the remote subantarctic Macquarie Island to help study sea birds for a year.
The island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is part of Tasmania, lies in the south-west Pacific Ocean approximately half way between Australia and Antarctica.
The volunteer role Ms Wells has taken will involve her living at the research station on the island with about 15 other people during winter and up to 30 people during the summer months.
The island sees heavy rainfall, strong winds and thick cloud most of the year.
Ms Wells said she was looking forward to the adventure, but felt a bit nervous.
“I’m really, really excited about going into such an isolated, wild environment, leaving this world that we know and just going into nature – into the wild,” she said.
“It’s going to be amazing.”
The biologist has spent time undertaking other sea bird research roles in places such as the Bahamas and South Africa.
“I have a lot of experience working in offshore, isolated, remote locations, but nothing for a time this long and nothing this extreme,” Ms Wells said.
“I’m so excited for this opportunity to work on some of the greatest birds there are but also to just go back to nature. I really like to live simply.”
During her time in Warrnambool, the researcher has run Middle Island’s maremma project and observed gannet colonies in Portland.
Ms Wells said she had a passion for sea bird conservation – one that stretched back to childhood, making the opportunity a dream come true for her.
“Sea birds are top predators, so understanding their behaviours can give you a whole bunch of understanding into the ocean's health overall,” she said.
“Being a top predator, they affect things underneath them. [Sea birds are] very beautiful things.”
Macquarie Island is home to around 12 million sea birds, including petrels and the wandering albatross, which has the largest wingspan of any living bird.
“This is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Ms Wells said.
