Follow Victoria on her journey from University of Salford student to Lead Seal and Penguin Keeper at Skegness Natureland Seal Sanctuary. Hear all about she found her course, staff support and the opportunities she found as a result of her time here.

Hi Victoria! I’m so excited to hear more about your course. First, tell me why you chose to study here at Salford.

I chose Salford University as the campus was incredibly inviting and everyone was extremely friendly. I could tell instantly it was the place for me. I was really impressed with the talks that were done by academic staff and the passion they all shared. It gave an insight on what the lessons would be like and I was eager to get started. Salford university was the second university I visited out of three but quickly became my first choice.

What made you want to study your course?

From a young age, I have always been drawn to Marine life – loving exploring through rocky pools with family and always wanting to be by the coast. I chose to do both Zoology and Marine Biology to give me options to branch out. It was a great balance between subjects and give me a great in-depth insight on both sectors.

How did you learn on your course? Did you have practical sessions, field trips or projects?

In my first year at Salford, I attended a trip to Scotland. This was an amazing opportunity to get out there and do some research in the field. It was full of new and exciting activities such as sampling, ID of benthic species and recording data. Sadly, throughout the start of my second year and going into the third, the COVID pandemic hit. But this did not limit practicals or projects. My favourite were practicals within a parasitology module. It was an area I have never delved into before and was incredibly interesting.

How did you find the support from the academic staff?

The academic staff within my course were incredibly supportive. During the pandemic, they were always there when requested, which really helped me within my second year. Throughout my dissertation, my tutor was very patient, understanding and encouraging. It gave me the confidence and support to strive for excellence within my work. This led me to get a First!

Evie, Belize Zoo

Tell us a bit about your career journey since you graduated. How do you think your course/time here helped you with this?

Since I graduated, it has been roller coaster. I went straight into the industry working as a animal keeper.

This was within a college and I got to work with a wide range of animals and help educate work experience and volunteer students. I was determined to focus on marine conservation. I began volunteering with organizations such as the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Yorkshire seal group as a sea watch observer monitoring cetaceans and pinnipeds. I became a BDMLR (British Divers Marine Life Rescue) medic, helping rescue and rehabilitate pinnipeds.

I then stumbled across an amazing opportunity to volunteer at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary working closely with both resident and rescued seals and a resident Sea Lion. It deepened my understanding of seal rehabilitation. To add to it, I completed courses with ORCA as a marine mammal surveyor and JNCC as a marine mammal observer.

Now I am a lead seal and Penguin keeper at Skegness Natureland Seal Sanctuary. I care for five adult resident Harbor seals and one resident Albino Harbor seal pup. Within my role, I also oversee the final stage of seal pup rehabilitation. I prep them ready for release back into the wild, making an impact on the conservation of both Grey and Harbor seals. This connected me with a organization called Women in Ocean Science, where I was featured on their social media page. My course helped me gain confidence in knowing this is exactly what I would like to do. It allowed me to realize that I wanted to focus on marine mammal conservation and elasmobranch research.

“By doing this degree it has allowed me to experience all of these amazing opportunities.”

Victoria Warsap

What advice would you give to someone thinking of studying here?

Do it! I could not imagine myself at any other university. It’s an incredibly relaxing atmosphere and everyone is willing to help you out. There is so much to offer on the campus and so many societies to join. The facilities are great and the library has three floors with different volume levels. Providing flexibility within study. I’ve met some amazing friends along the way and I’ve always said I would love to go back!

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