Jackie Hildering lives in Port McNeill on Northern Vancouver Island. She is the co-founder of the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS).
She calls herself “The Marine Detective” because the ocean is full of mystery.
Jackie taught biology in the Netherlands. Then, she did a whale watching trip at Telegraph Cove, BC. “It changed my life,” she says.
She learned to scuba dive. Now, she studies humpback whales. She takes underwater pictures of other marine life.
She teaches people about the importance of ocean life. She says the ocean is connected to human life.
“The cold and dark waters in our north Pacific Ocean have more life in them than clear, tropical water,” Jackie says. “The plankton fuels the food web.”
In the food web, small fish and shellfish eat tiny plankton. Then, larger fish and mammals eat the smaller fish.
To see underwater photos and learn about ocean life, visit www.themarinedetective.com or @TheMarineDetective.
Submitted by Trish Weatherall • Photo: Andrew Topham made possible by Melanie Wood