Bhakti Patel

Bhakti is a Programme Manager at BLAKE and works with the team to deliver its environmental education programmes such as BLAKE Inspire, BLAKE Expeditions, and BLAKE Ambassadors.

Bhakti obtained her BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Auckland, Leigh Marine Lab specialising in Marine science. Her research focused on snapper physiology. Prior to joining BLAKE, Bhakti was a Marine Biology Technician and Ecology Team Leader at the University of Auckland where she was a technician, educator, diver, and skipper – providing technical support in the lab and in the field.

Bhakti’s passion comes from fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a marine biologist and she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm through education and photography.

This will be Bhakti’s third voyage to the Kermadec Islands. In September 2017 she visited Raoul Island to carry out cetacean research for Dr Rochelle Constantine’s research at the University of Auckland. She experienced ship life on the Royal New Zealand’s Navy warship HMNZS Wellington, and collected data on migrating humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins.

In 2018 Bhakti returned to the Kermadec Islands as part of BLAKE Expeditions aboard HMNZS Canterbury to conduct marine research with scientists and student voyagers.

In 2019, Bhakti and two BLAKE Ambassadors went on a month long voyage to the Sub-Antarctic Region to conduct fisheries research on board RV Tangaroa with NIWA.