Wave Action
Wave Action is an environmental partnership, set up in 2007 by husband and wife team, Colin Speedie and Louise Johnson.
Following long and varied careers in marine conservation, Colin and Louise offer a wide range of expertise. Colin focuses on writing, film - making and photography, whilst Louise works with conservation charities in Africa on responsible energy development.
They spend at least 6 months each year out at sea, on their expedition boat, gathering research material for their various journalism and consultancy projects.
Colin says “Advances in Information Technology have enabled us to live the life we want and continue to run our business even when we are miles from land. By definition, a lot of our research locations are hundreds of miles away from any cities with broadband WiFi hotspots but mobile phone networks are now very widespread. We stay in constant touch with our projects through our 3G internet connection, which can work up to 12 miles out to sea.
“The combination of 3G and a Mac Book allows us to upload photos and text to our own website (www.wave-action.com) and also to a U.S website to which I am a regular contributor.
“It also makes it easy to send articles and reports through to commissioning publications and other clients as well as update our blog. We have recently learnt Dreamweaver so can also continue to develop the website from the middle of the ocean.”
In 2003, Colin set up WiSe, (www.wisescheme.org) a project that promotes the establishment of best practice through training and accreditation for the operators of passenger vessels and others that want to view marine wildlife.
Colin says “We keep in touch with members through email, while we are out at sea, as well as arrange the series of training sessions that I run through the winter months.
“ Having great connections whilst on the boat also makes it easy to keep on top of general business administration paperwork. For example, we bank online and arrange payments of bills remotely.
Thanks to technology, we have been able to shift the centre of our world to our new boat for months at a time. The boat is our home as well as our office. Because we are now freed up to be more flexible as to location, we have been able to vacate our Falmouth office, with resultant cost savings. Now we operate either from the expedition boat or from out home office..”
Colin says: “The costs of 3G have come down significantly in recent years and in the next 2-3 years, I expect to see a similar decrease in the cost of satellite broadband communications. This will be a further boost, making it still easier to run our business from wherever we are – even if it an obscure corner of the Indian Ocean.”
