My invisible work as a Sea Ranger

Why this blog? My name is Naisah and I work as a Sea Ranger for the Sea Ranger Service. 

When I tell people what my job title is, that usually raises a lot more questions; What is a Sea Ranger exactly? What do Sea Rangers do? What does a typical day look like for you? What are your responsibilities on board? Do you feel like you’re making a difference? What is it like being away from home for two weeks at a time? Being a Sea Ranger means having an adventurous job at sea. But what does it all entail? That’s a question I am going to answer in the upcoming blogs. 

It’s a difficult task to imagine life aboard a ship when you’re used to having your feet firmly on solid ground. When you’re living aboard a ship it can be hard to explain because after a while it all becomes so familiar. Even to close friends I have a hard time explaining exactly what a typical workday looks like for me. These blogs are me taking you by the hand, to bring you along on our sea adventures, and show you what life is like aboard our ship. 

A little more about my background. My name is Naisah Taal and I am 27 years old. I love the ocean and I have been sailing since I was 7 years old. I grew up by the water in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Even today, when I am looking for vacation destinations I always find a place that is close to the sea. For anyone reading this who wants to be a Sea Ranger, do not think that sailing experience is required. Having a love for the ocean and adventure are way more important. Aside from all the sailing I am training to become a yoga instructor in my free time and I love trying out new recipes in the kitchen. 

So why did I become a Sea Ranger? Well, first and foremost because I love the sea and the more time I get to spend on it, the better. Second, during my civil engineering studies I was always focused on sustainability. I wanted my designs to be as energy efficient as possible. In my daily life I also make an effort to keep my ecological footprint as small as I can. I was keen for my job to reflect the same values that I carry out in all other areas of my life. The mixture of my love of the ocean and my interest in sustainability came together perfectly in the Sea Ranger role. Of course, not having to work in an office, instead having adventures professionally aboard a ship is something that spoke to me immediately. And to be completely honest, I didn’t have a clue what else I would have wanted to do otherwise. When it turned out I was selected after the bootcamp I was as happy as a clam. 

Do you want to know what Sea Rangers do? Keep your eye on this site so you won’t miss my next blog in which I will address this question in detail.