Adventurer Monty Halls to speak at BSAVA Congress
He’s been variously described as ‘the shark whisperer’ and ‘the new Cousteau’. Monty Halls is an adventurer in the true old-fashion sense of the term. The former Royal Marines Officer is a professional diver and a trained marine biologist who has led teams through some of the most demanding environments in the world. His adventures include discovering pre-historic settlements amid great white sharks, avoiding the bullets of poachers, and photographing a dangerous, rare crocodile underwater for the first time. A popular TV presenter, his two series of Monty Halls’ Great Escape for the BBC have won him fans worldwide.
Monty Halls’ stunning stories drawn from expeditions, underwater experiences and filming his ‘Great Escapes’ will be illustrated with amazing images and fantastic film footage when he delivers the BSAVA Congress Lecture on the Thursday afternoon of Congress. He follows in the footsteps of the likes of Joe Simpson, Phil Hammond, Simon King and Susan Greenfield, who have all proved popular guest speakers with Congress delegates.
From Marine to marine biology
Halls left the Royal Marines at the age of 29 after a successful career that included a stint in South Africa. He chose to study marine biology at the University of Plymouth, where he was involved with a project filming a rare species of crocodile in Belize in partnership with the Natural History Museum. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1999.
He has also published several books including Dive: The Ultimate Guide and Great Ocean Adventures as well as a book about Beachcomber cottage and his life-changing adventure living on the West Coast of Scotland for the first Great Escape series.
The BSAVA looks forward to welcoming Monty to the 2011 Congress!