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I have had an interest in photography for 30 years and a passion for the natural world for as long as I remember.

My passion for wildlife is a big part of who I am and one of my most memorable experiences would be helping the Project Jonah Team on the South Island of New Zealand. Over 60 Pilot Whales had stranded at Farewell Spit and we heard on the radio that volunteers were needed.

Two friends and I had just landed on the South Island on the last ferry that day. We were heading to Kaikoura hoping to be surfing a right hand point break called Mangamanu the next morning. I felt very strongly about going to help, but my two friends were not so keen. I eventually persuaded them, but only if I did all the driving as it was quite a few hours drive in the wrong direction.

We eventually got there in the very early hours of the morning and found somewhere to sleep. An hour later someone woke us and we were rushed on board army trucks and driven along the beach to where the whales were.

Sadly some of the whales had not survived the night. It was very hard to explain my feelings. I had never seen a whale before and now I was witness to a beach full of Pilot Whales. 43 whales were still alive and a few were in some distress.

We were very quickly told what to do and then left to look after a whale. We had to first turn the whale over, so it was upright and to try not to let the whale cut itself on the broken shells that littered the beach. We also had to keep the whale wet with buckets of water so that it would not dehydrate and to talk gently to the whale so as to try and keep it calm.

At first some of the whales were thrashing about, which was very dangerous for the volunteers and for the whales. But it wasn't too long before they were calmed down.

An hour earlier I had never seen a whale before and now I was face to face with a Pilot Whale, gently telling it that it was going to be ok.

We kept this up for a few hours until the tide started to come back in. Some of the whales had beached themselves too far up the beach and a small tractor was lifting them with harnesses and the help of many people closer to the water. We had started to rock the whale back and forth as we were told that as it had been lying on the beach all night, it may have lost its balance and rocking it would help. We were told that there was a chance that they may spin upside down when trying to swim away and not be able to right themselves. This would mean they would drown.

I'm now talking to a whale while rocking it back and forth, and pouring water over it while the sea is lapping around my ankles, and I'm freezing

When the tide was high enough we were told to try and keep all the whales together and release them all at once. Our whale was having none of it and took me and my two friends swimming out to sea. It was a bit embarrassing as everyone else's whale was very well behaved.

We had helped save 43 Pilot Whales and it is something I will never forget. Looking into that whales eye and seeing it look right back at me was amazing. The whale must have been very frightened, but the look in its eye seem to be a look of trust. I don't really know what the whale was thinking but this was an animal with which I feel I came to know for a brief time. We don't know why these wonderful animals beach themselves but we are intelligent enough to know that pollution, loud noise and any other form of distress we cause these beautiful animals does not help.

We live on a beautiful planet which we share with many other animals. I hope that in my photography I portray the natural beauty around us.

I have been published in a number of small newspaper/magazines and last year one of my images was used for a calender of which the proceeds went to the 'Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust'.

If anyone is interested in my work please do not hesitate to contact me.

Mobile: 07786550862
wightlifephotography(at)yahoo.co.uk