Marine Conservation Adventures
We are a brand new ocean education, research and adventure company in Falmouth, Cornwall, operating our beautiful Oyster 46 "Rumpus" from Falmouth marina. We will be offering single and multi-day wildlife tours and expeditions under sail, starting in the spring of 2027. Destinations might include anywhere between Dartmouth in Devon and the Isles of Scilly.
Rumpus is built for comfortable cruising in all conditions, combining a versatile, powerful ketch rig with a hefty 40% ballast ratio for fast but stable sailing and a reliable diesel to bring us home if the wind doesn't blow. There are 3 private sleeping cabins (a triple, a double and a twin), two bathrooms with showers, a spacious saloon and well-equipped galley. A dedicated dry laboratory space with AC and DC power is ideal for small research projects or film/photo editing. Expansive deck space means we can supplement our 3m dinghy & outboard with an additional small boat, kayaks or SUPs, giving us the ability to support tailor made-expeditions of different kinds. We will work with you to tailor your adventure to your experience and ambition!
Our 2027 sailing programme is an open book and the website is still under development. We welcome enquiries from anyone who is interested in spending time under sail in our wonderful British ocean – families, students, naturalists, researchers, film makers, expeditioners and others – as well as anyone with data collection requests for citizen science projects. If you'd like to join our mailing list, or make contact with expedition proposals or enquiries, then please drop us an email or complete the form.
Whilst recognising that all human activities inevitably cause some environmental impact, Marine Conservation Adventures seek to operate in as ecologically sensitive and ethical manner as practicable. As WiSe certified operators we follow established best practice to minimise disturbance to marine wildlife at all times.
info@marineconservationadventures.com
Who we are:
Dr Bill Burnett BSc(Hons) PhD
Bill graduated from Newcastle University in 1991 with a first class degree in Marine Biology and went on to a PhD at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, a 3 year postdoctoral position at the Scottish Assocation for Marine Science and a Research Fellowship back at Newcastle before becoming a teacher in 2001. He was Head of Biology at St Paul's School in London and then Head of Science and Head of Biology at Tonbridge School in Kent until 2026.
Originally from Falmouth, Bill has been sailing on the Cornish coast all his life. He is a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster (Offshore), Dinghy Instructor, BSAC Advanced Diver and Open Water Instructor, and PADI Divemaster. Over the last 35 years he has led diving and sailing expeditions for marine research and education all over the world.
Juliet Burnett BSc(Hons) FRGS
Juliet graduated in Marine Biology from Bangor University in 1993 by which time she had already organised a diving expedition to Tonga and two to Belize. She worked briefly as a political lobbyist before moving to the Isle of Mull as the first employee of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in 1995. A year later she was recruited as the Programme Manager for the Royal Geographical Society's Shoals of Capricorn Programme, which operated field bases in Mauritius, Rodrigues and Seychelles. Juliet became the Director in 1999, the youngest ever, and first female, director of an RGS field programme. Between 2001 and 2010 she balanced child rearing with fundraising for the Huntington's Disease Association and opening a Lottery funded Community Cafe in a deprived area of London. In 2011 she joined Tonbridge School, becoming Head of Community Action and raising more than £500,000 for charitable causes whilst raising awareness of social issues including homelessness and immigration in Kent and in Sri Lanka. Still actively connected to the marine research community, Juliet has been a Trustee of the Nekton Foundation since 2006. She is a BSAC Advanced Diver and Assistant Instructor.
Wildlife Gallery
Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
The most common dolphin in the southwest, common dolphins are medium sized, to about 2m, with a characteristic buff/yellow patch on their sides betweeen the eye and the sickle shaped dorsal fin. They often come to bow ride with boats and can form super-pods of hundreds of individuals.
Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus)
Risso's are twice as big as common dolphin, up to 3.8m long, with tall dorsal fins and a short beak. They are dark grey with a white underside and get paler with age due to the accumulation of extensive scarring on their bodies which also makes it comparatively easy to identify individuals. They live in small groups and don't generally interact much with boats. Increased sightings in the southwest may be associated with the recent explosion in the octopus population which they like to eat.