Joe was born and bred on the Isles of Scilly, a group of five inhabited islands 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. His family has a long history of being mariners and boatman around the islands and he has had over 30 years of experience operating boats between the islands.
He is the owner and operator of the Sapphire, a 15m passenger boat that can carry 90 people. In 2003, both he and Bob Flood setup Scilly Pelagics, an ecotourism business specialising in seabird watching, research and photography. Joe is responsible for ensuring that over 450 customers per annum (June – September) have an enjoyable and safe experience appreciating the ocean wildlife around the Isles of Scilly particularly seabirds and cetaceans. He also operates specialist fishing trips where he offers a shark-tagging experience as part of an international conservation research programme into Blue Shark populations. He holds a WiSE accreditation (2018).Joe was also a VOLUNTEER, Royal National Lifeboat Institution for 23 years (1993-2016) and in 1993 was awarded a Bronze Medal Vellum Award for a rescue operation involving a lone yachtsman.

The magic of seabirds