Colin Speedie, Director of WiSe, will be leading the courses. A writer and photographer, he has a lifelong attachment to the sea. He has watched and researched marine wildlife such as whales and dolphins, turtles basking sharks from the decks of sailing vessels around Britain.

Mr Speedle has led the Wildlife Trusts’ Basking Shark project covering around 25,000km of surveys between the English Channel and the Outer Hebrides. He also founded the WiSe Scheme, the UK’s first marine wildlife watchingoperators training and accreditation course.

The first WiSe course in Jersey will be held at the St. Helier Yacht Club at 20:00 on 25 April. The illustrated talk is aimed at for individuals, such as kayakers, powerboaters, sailors, windsurfers, and paddle boarders, who want to learn how to best view wildlife – e.g. dolphins, seals and seabirds – while at the same time minimising any disturbance boat-based observers might cause.

The second course, at 08:30 on April 26 at the Société Jersiaise, is for professionals operating commercial pleasure craft such as fishing and yacht charters, and rib and dive trips. It will cover instructions on how to view and identify marine wildlife including dolphins, seals and seabirds who they are likely to come into contact with as they are out on the sea on a regular basis.

Once people complete the professional course and register with WiSe, they are nationally certified and accredited. Operators can display the WiSe logo to demonstrate they are a wildlife aware commercial operator.

The courses are being offered as Jersey continues to promote sustainable eco-tourism, and a growing number of vessels now offer trips near or to the Island’s Ramsar- designated and protected offshore reefs.