The theme for World Maritime Day (28 September) this year is ‘MARPOL at 50 – our commitment goes on’, which reflects its originator the International Maritime Organisation’s long history of protecting the marine environment.
To mark the event, and as part of our ‘Meet our STS Superintendents’ series, we caught up with STS Superintendent Rahul Narula to learn more about his storied history at sea.
Rahul describes his passion for his career at sea and the experiences it has given him, while sharing a key moment that exemplifies the importance of preserving the marine environment:
“My time at JF Fendercare has been a great learning experience and every transfer operation has provided new opportunities for personal development. My career at sea began in 1998 and that’s when I experienced my first STS operation at Haldia, India. I was totally fascinated by the entire process which inspired me to join the industry later in life.
I have always loved sailing – from the initial days of training we would sail for months on end around that time. I have always liked to be surrounded by the ocean without any congestion of traffic or people.
One of the most cherished moments of my career was when I was sailing as a second officer on an oil tanker off the coast of Sri Lanka. While keeping a lookout during daytime, I observed some floating black objects ahead of the vessel at quite a distance. Upon closer inspection I observed that it was a family of orcas, with the mother and father whale on either side of their baby.
I altered the course of the ship to avoid passing too close to the whales. While passing abeam, I announced on the loudspeaker so that all men on deck could come on the shipside and observe the whales. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever experienced to date. None of us had the time to take a picture of this mesmerising scene, because no one wanted to miss out even a single moment to observe this beautiful family. Not one person spoke on either of the bridge or on the deck. I honestly believe that this scene was etched forever in everyone’s mind.”
Safety and environmental protection are at the forefront of everything we do. That’s why we operate above industry specified guidelines to deliver safe and effective transfer services. Professionals such as Rahul work tirelessly to guarantee this, ensuring that all our transfer operations are carried out safely and effectively, whilst safeguarding the environment we work in.