Stephen Marsh, Bsc
Advisor

Stephen’s interest in whales and dolphins began with quite a negative experience. Whilst in Vancouver, British Columbia on business in 1989 he visited the aquarium and was horrified to see orcas and beluga whales imprisoned there. He immediately made a pact with himself to become more involved in cetacean conservation and from then on has opposed the captive industry.

In 2003, after decades working in advertising and marketing, Stephen closed his London-based advertising agency and began consulting for human and animal welfare charities. He started working for the whale and dolphin charity   ORCA.  As Corporate Development Manager he helped to rejuvenate the charity’s fortunes over a three year period, creating a robust platform from which the charity could grow. At the end of the three year contract, Stephen continued to volunteer on    ​ORCA's    board as a Trustee and Vice Chair, having a particular focus on public interactions and marketing. He also runs   Marine Mammal Surveyor training courses for ORCA, as well as leading whale watching trips for the charity.  Stephen has  previously  fulfilled  the  role  of   Rescue & Care Coordinator for the   Dolphinaria-Free Europe    coalition. 

Stephen is also the former Operations Manager and National Coordinator for British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), stepping down after eight years in 2018 to embark on an adventure of a life-time:   Around the World in 80 Whales. Stephen’s day job involved working closely with the charity’s team of 2,800 volunteers around the UK, rescuing whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and turtles.

Stephen has sat on a number of UK and international governmental, military and charity conservation committees, including the   Marine   Management   Organisation's   marine wildlife crime enforcement unit, the    Underwater   Sound   Forum,   Marine   Animal   Rescue   Coalition,   Wildlife   and   Countryside   Link,   and    as an observer at    ​ASCOBANS. As well as giving public talks about wildlife around the world, he has lectured on marine animal welfare, rescue and whale and dolphin population studies at a number of universities, as well as the Royal Veterinary College and for the   RSPCA.  Stephen also leads whale-watching trips in the Bay of Biscay with    ORCA   and has run   BDMLR    rescue courses in the UAE and Kenya.

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