Women Explorers: Ella Potts

You can usually find Ella Potts “geeking out about cetaceans,” as she likes to say. Nothing makes this English naturalist happier than spotting a whale, and anyone who has ever traveled with her on our ships can attest to that fact. Her face lights up with an ear-to-ear grin and she starts spouting off a wealth of facts with the most infectious enthusiasm. Her knowledge is vast and when you have marine mammal questions—whether you’re wondering about the evolution of the cetacean brain or the difference between killer whale types—Ella is sure to have answers. Get Inspired By Photos, Videos, Webinars, Stories, And Exclusive Offers. Sign Up

Her love for the ocean—and all its inhabitants—began at a young age while swimming and kayaking in the cold waters off the coast of West Wales. That led her to study biology in college and then earn a master’s degree in environmental biology, conservation and resource management—with a focus on the ocean’s apex predators. Ella can’t imagine a world without dolphins and whales and has put her background to good use helping to protect and conserve these species for generations to come. She has offered her expertise to many critical marine conservancy organizations like ORCA and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. She’s even a trained Marine Mammal Medic—that means when whales or dolphins are found stranded on shore Ella’s called upon for her lifesaving skills, like a cetacean superhero!

When Ella isn’t scanning the seas for life from the bow of our ships in places like Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Arctic, she’s busy with ongoing cetacean research projects and presenting public talks to an array of audiences. She’s also an avid photographer and loves capturing images and film of the rare and charismatic species who live around the Isle of Mull, in the Hebrides, where Ella makes her home. Ella approaches exploration with radiant positivity and an activist mindset and we celebrate this advocate of the ocean.