FIRST WEEK IN WATERVILLE

By Anna Hughes

After a long but fairly smooth journey from Manchester, I was welcomed to the Waterville and the Sea Synergy center by the other interns, Megan and Rebecca. They showed me around the center and told me about their experiences so far. They had lots of exciting stories and assured me I’d be very busy and definitely wouldn’t get bored! Shortly after, Ellie and Sara arrived back, windswept and cheery from their day on the lake. They seemed in such good spirits after a day at work which gave me really high hopes for working with Sea Synergy. Everyone gathered for a team meeting (all very new to me and slightly overwhelming but exciting all the same!). Ellie then gave me and my heavy suitcase a lift to Beenbane house. The house is cozy and homely, with incredible views. The next morning, I headed to the Sea Synergy center for an introductory day. This mostly included getting used to the running of the shop and familiarising myself with the exhibition. I had the next couple of days off to explore the area, which was really lovely and helped me feel a bit more settled. On Sunday afternoon, Megan and I went to smugglers beach for a swim and ended up surrounded by 5 inquisitive seals!

The next Monday, I headed out to the Skelligs. We launched from Bullavella pier on John’s boat L’oursin, with 12 guests and 3 dogs. We were incredibly lucky with the weather and the wildlife – 11 Risso’s dolphins in total! The trip up the monastery really was breathtaking, and puffins were hidden around every corner.

My first week in Waterville has been fantastic, and I’m very much looking forward to my summer working as an intern with Sea Synergy.