Despite growing up in metropolitan cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Shanghai, Julian has always had a fascination for wildlife and the natural world. This led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Edinburgh. However, it was only when he volunteered on an underwater research expedition in Honduras that he truly fostered a passion for marine conservation and the diversity of life in our oceans.
After graduating in 2019, Julian interned as a research assistant for a sea turtle project in Malaysia, helping to protect and study green and hawksbill turtle populations in the region. This introduction into the world of sea turtles led him to work at various other organisations, including the Sea Turtle Conservancy in Costa Rica and Archelon in Greece, where he gained experience working with green, hawksbill, loggerhead and leatherback turtles across a range of in-water and nesting projects.
Over the next two years, he witnessed the detrimental impacts humans were having, not only on sea turtles, but on all marine biodiversity and ecosystems. This motivated him to return to university in 2021 to complete a masters in Marine Environmental Management from the University of Exeter, where he collaborated with the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) to research the spatio-temporal distribution of nesting green turtles on Aldabra Atoll.
Julian joined the Olive Ridley Project in October 2022 as the Sea Turtle Biologist & Guest Educator based at Six Senses in Laamu Atoll. His role involves researching the foraging and nesting ecology of sea turtles in the area, with a focus on photo identification of individuals, and carrying out educational outreach initiatives with guests and the local community.
