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Meet the Team

Sea Synergy is a Marine Awareness and Activity Center that offers a unique and interactive marine wildlife and heritage exhibition, as well as a variety of meaningful activities, workshops, and adventures that empower all ages. Sea Synergy’s immersive experiences in the Skellig Coast’s rich local heritage and environment allow our clients to fully experience what Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way has to offer!

Guided tours and adventures are provided by marine biologists and local specialists to facilitate a greater connection to nature and the local area. We have a variety of fun and educational workshops and activities such as Seashore Safaris, guided snorkeling, guided stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, boat tours,  village heritage walks, island visits, mindfulness in nature meditations, which are open to all ages and aim to give participants a closer connection to nature.

Our Mission is to create meaningful experiences in nature for individuals or groups which are tailored to their needs and enable them to discover the rich diversity of Ireland’s environment and Wild Atlantic Way in a fun and memorable way.

THE SEA SYNERGY TEAM

Lucy Hunt

Founder

Lucy Hunt is a marine biologist with a Joint Hons degree in Marine biology and Zoology and a Masters in Marine Environmental Protection. She has been running marine awareness and education workshops and activities for all ages for over 15 years. In 2014, she founded Sea Synergy to help raise awareness of the importance of the ocean and encourage others to fall in love with the ocean and to help protect it. Lucy has been nominated as an Ashoka Changemaker, an Ocean Hero, and Kerry Businesswoman of the Year. Additionally, her work on ocean health and plastic pollution has been recognized by HRH Prince Charles. Lucy has managed and created international marine education projects inspiring over 100,000 people to engage in positive action for the Ocean such as the Volvo Ocean Race Sustainability Education program 2017-18.

Lucy is an avid scuba diver and loves doing anything in on or under the ocean. Although she has been to the summit of Kilimanjaro, Kinabalu, and Carrantuohill to test her hiking abilities, she is still trying to decide if she loves hiking as much as she loves her ocean adventures. She enjoys traveling but her favorite thing is coming home to the Kingdom of Kerry taking a walk on her local beach and introducing her home environment to as many people as possible, creating a connection with nature and an understanding of the intricacies of what it offers.

Damian Foxall

Director

Irish sailor Damian Foxall has competed in ten round-the-world races, resulting in numerous world records and four round the world titles. He has subsequently been described as a national hero and Ireland’s top international sailor and attended a reception at the Presidential Residence in Ireland. Damian’s experience in the marine industry ranges from competing as an athlete to coaching and project management.

Damian’s true appreciation for the natural environment stems from his childhood experiences growing up on the Southwest coast of Ireland. Later in life, he pursued a career working offshore in all of the world’s oceans. He works as a marine consultant across multiple platforms and disciplines to highlight the importance of ocean health, most recently during the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, Damian worked for Vestas 11th Hour Racing as sustainability manager promoting ocean health as part of the team’s conservation strategy. Damian is a regular public speaker for business, education, and media platforms in both English and French. Damian’s skill as an outdoor adventure guide and expedition leader is put to good use at Sea Synergy.

Natasha Howard

Operations Manager

Natasha has an MSc in Conservation Science and an Honours degree in Ecology. She is widely travelled with a passion for community engagement and education. Her varied career has included rowing for Great Britain at three World Championships and the Beijing Olympics, coaching rowing in the Maldives, teaching English in China and researching peoples’ motivations to conserve their land. However, it wasn’t until she began to run school and community engagement projects in the Broads National Park that she felt she had found her new niche. 

She derives immense satisfaction from working with people from all walks of life, enabling them to discover their local environment, understand its unique qualities and why it needs their support. Environmental education gives her the chance to pass on her passion for the outdoors and nature, inspired by growing up in Africa, and her insatiable curiosity about the world.

She enjoys a wide range of outdoor activities including hiking, scuba diving, kayaking and has completed two long distance cylces through China, Central and SE Asia. It’s her abiding love of being in, on or near water and the chance to combine this with environmental education that led her to Sea Synergy.

Jane Sharp

Education Officer

Growing up in Kerry, my summers were spent exploring its shores, developing a curiosity and a grá for the sea. This inquisitiveness led to me becoming a Scuba Instructor and an Outdoor Educator, allowing me to explore our oceans near and far and to show others the beauty that lies beneath and around our coasts.

Anna Kellagher

Activities and Research Officer

I have an Honours degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography from Bangor University, and a background in climbing instructing and providing opportunities for children to interact with, and learn about, their local natural environment. Last year I had an amazing internship with Sea Synergy and fell in love with the work they do here and the kingdom of Kerry! I have a long standing passion for the West coast of Ireland, I grew up climbing its sea cliffs and mountains, walking its shores and snorkelling and paddling in its waters. I love photographing and learning the names of all the wildlife I encounter while out exploring.

Jane Sheehan

Education Officer

Jane has a BSc in wildlife biology and a MSc in marine biology and a keen interest in marine life, especially jellyfish. Growing up in Kerry gave her an immense love of native wildlife and her surrounding landscapes. She is passionate about educating the public on the importance of wildlife and the environment and working with local communities and groups interested in sustainability and conservation. Jane is currently undertaking a research masters investigating the plankton diversity of the coastal waters of the Iveragh peninsula with University College Cork.