by Amelia Perkins
Longlisted: PureTravel Writing Competition 2025
Was it a turning point or was it always there? I think it’s fair to say growing up on countless Attenborough documentaries and obsessed with anything animal related the passion and fascination has always been there. But over the years, that passion shifted. What started as a love for animals and a dream to help them one-on-one with Veterinary Medicine slowly turned into something bigger, a drive to make a global impact on wildlife and conservation. And that turning point happened on the other side of the world.
Boarding the flight that day I was a ball of nerves and excitement, completely unaware that this trip of a lifetime would shift my whole life plan and open up a whole new direction for my future. The intense Australian heat hit me as I stepped off the plane for the first time in a land down under. My first leg of my journey was travelling up the west coast up to Ningaloo reef, an experience I will never forget.
The opportunity to snorkel with manta rays was something I hadn’t even considered, but I jumped at the opportunity especially knowing how eco-conscious the company was and their commitment to respecting the wildlife. I had no idea what to expect. My previous snorkeling experience was, minimal to say the least – possibly a couple of family holidays to Cornwall not venturing far beyond the crashing waves. So to suddenly find myself swimming among the coral was something truly magical. The reef teemed with life, the array of colours was breathtaking, and I vividly remember having tears in my eyes when a turtle gracefully swam by. But this was only the start, the main event, the mantas were still yet to come.
With spotter planes above and knowing we only had a couple of shots of catching a glimpse of the magical creatures seemingly flying through the water, the pressure was on. But it was so worth it.
Jumping off the back of the boat, it was a chaotic flurry of fins and splashes as we swam in the direction of the ray – careful to maintain a suitable distance as to not to disturb them. Something truly breathtaking and a memory I’ll never forget.
From that point on for the rest of my travels and even back home I have seized every opportunity I’ve had to spend more time in the ocean getting to know the wildlife and experience the magic below the waves. From getting involved in marine mammal research to taking part in public outreach events, I want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to experience the ocean as I did and to become an essential part of protecting it for generations to come.
And that brings us today, my life changed direction but for the better. Before I was lost not knowing how I wanted to use my skills and passion to make a difference, but now I am committed to helping understand and protect our ocean and what lives within it.
Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash
