Three decades. Countless oceans. Extraordinary encounters.
Stories, encounters and adventures from more than three decades in marine biology — from first encounters with manta rays and sharks to extraordinary people, remote oceans, giant marine animals and unforgettable moments beneath the surface.
These stories form an evolving personal archive of Rowan Byrne's experiences in marine biology, conservation, diving, exploration and wildlife photography — spanning more than three decades and every major ocean on Earth.
They are first-person accounts. Not academic papers, not travel writing, not documentary narration. They are the stories of a marine biologist who has spent his career in the water, on boats, on beaches, and in the field — bearing witness to marine life that most people will never see.
More stories will be added as the archive grows.
1998
Early Field Years
First encounters, first dives, the beginning of a career.
2000s
Conservation & International Fieldwork
Philippines, South Africa, and the realities of conservation at sea.
2010s
Research, Marine Ecology & Conservation
Deeper science, longer expeditions, growing expertise.
2020s
Marine Plastics, Sustainability & Environmental Consultancy
The ocean's newest crisis — and the work to address it.
In January 1998, after completing a stint at Dr Samuel Gruber's Bimini Biological Field Station, Rowan Byrne set off for Baja California Sur to work with renowned Mexican elasmobranch biologist Professor Carlos Villavicencio — and encountered something he would never forget.
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The year was 1997. Rowan Byrne had just said goodbye to his parents in Dublin and was heading to the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas — his first taste of the exhilarating world of sharks, and a defining moment that would shape his entire career.
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In 1999, Rowan Byrne was offered the chance to work in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands — a remote island nine hours flying from New Zealand. As a passionate marine biologist, it was a dream come true. Little did he know, this journey would be marked by a near-death experience that would forever change his perspective on life and the ocean's power.
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In 2000, Rowan Byrne embarked on an extraordinary journey to the Philippine islands supporting the Voluntary Service Overseas programme, spending over two and a half years immersed in the stunning yet contrasting tropical environment — discovering unknown dugong populations, working with fisherfolk, and witnessing both the beauty and the heartbreak of the Philippines' marine world.
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In February 2003, fresh from years in the Philippines, Rowan Byrne landed an exhilarating opportunity in Dominica in the Caribbean — managing the Rosalie Sea Turtle Initiative. What followed over five years included working with Disney and Johnny Depp on Pirates of the Caribbean, collaborating with the BBC, and one unforgettable rescue of an entangled giant leatherback sea turtle.
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In August 2008, Rowan Byrne and his colleague Dr Matt Blackburn — both passionate marine biologists and graduates of Aberystwyth University — embarked on a life-changing journey to South Africa. A lifelong dream, finally coming to fruition: diving with great white sharks at Seal Island, Gansbaai.
Read the storyFrom Fieldwork to a U.S. Forever Stamp
With a career spanning more than three decades, some field photographs acquire a life of their own. One of Rowan Byrne's photographs, taken during sea-turtle conservation work in Dominica in 2006, was selected by the United States Postal Service for its 2024 Protect Sea Turtles Forever stamp issue.
Read the full storyThe archive continues...
Some of these stories have been waiting for years to be told. Others are still being written. More encounters, expeditions, people, places and moments from Rowan Byrne's marine biology career will be added to the archive.
Read Rowan Byrne's biography