5 May 2026: Ricardo’s time at NAMMCO

Background

I had been working with marine mammals for a few years before joining NAMMCO, but generally, in a more fieldwork-based environment. I have worked in whale-watching since 2023, for

 companies in the Azores and Iceland, and before that, I was a technician on a fish farm in Southwest Ireland. I also participated in a few offshore oceanographic and marine mammal surveys

 for the Irish Marine Institute and led a small project in Cabo Verde (my home country), where we used ferry ships to survey cetaceans at sea. So, most of my work was “hands-on”, with little experience in an office setting.  

But in 2025, I finished a master’s degree in marine biological resources (known as the IMBRSea), where I specialised in marine spatial planning and applied megafauna conservation. After it, I wanted to gain actual experience in biological resource management (ideally, with marine mammals) and conservation, so a renowned, international body like NAMMCO was an amazing choice to apply to! 

About my internship

I worked on various tasks throughout my internship. These included updating NAMMCO’s species webpages, producing social media content, preparing meetings, analysing hunting catch data, and more. I participated in many events, like working groups and committee meetings, as well as workshops, which were great for learning new skills and networking. 

My highlights were participating in the Scientific Committee meeting in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, and representing NAMMCO at the 37th annual conference of the European Cetacean Society in Dundee, Scotland, with both events allowing me to meet amazing scientists and learn about their research. 

At times, there was a lot of work and tight schedules to be met. Preparing the 8th Marine Mammal Student Symposium was something I was nervous about, as I had never organised an event like this. But the Secretariat was always available to hear and support me when needed. The work I did also helped me to develop valuable skills in both science communication and management. 

 

Challenges
As someone who lived most of his life on a tropical island, I imagined the long polar nights would be a challenge for me, and indeed, they were. Especially as I knew very few people in Tromsø, and it took a while to make friends. Transitioning to a fully office-based environment also felt weird at the start. Yet, time solved all these issues. I learned to appreciate the gorgeous nature of the Arctic, made some fantastic friends in Tromsø and had fun with the team at the office. 

 

 

Life in Tromsø

Aside from NAMMCO, I did a lot of cool stuff while in Tromsø. I worked part-time for a whale-watching company, hiked in some impressive places, joined a mixed martial arts club, tried bouldering for the first time and enjoyed the vibrant nightlife that this small city offers. I also did some skiing while I was in Tromsø, but I definitely didn’t become good at it. 

Learn more about the internship here