Daniel Hayward

Position: 1st mate

I chose a life at sea even though I’m allergic to seafood!

I’ve been working at NIWA for 10 years. Before that I was a boatbuilder. As the first mate I manage the crew, oversee deck operations and keep watch on the bridge. I find the job both interesting and challenging.

My favourite things about the job are the people we work with and the variety of different science voyages we get to be part of.

My favourite voyage was the Antarctic voyage working with Antarctic blue whales. It was nice just working with and seeing the big whales – something you don’t get to see every day.

For those who want to work at sea it is definitely worth pursuing. Keep at it – it’s worth the journey.