David Phillips – Operations Manager

Since 2016 David has worked in our busy Operations department, managing a portfolio of wildlife tours to a number of countries in Northern and Eastern Europe and locations further afield. Additionally, he arranges tours to view the night sky from dark sky locations and watch total solar eclipses, including the next eclipse in Mexico in 2024.

David’s interest in the natural world started in his childhood but grew through his travels and, having now visited more than 70 countries on all seven continents, he has certainly had some extraordinary wildlife experiences. Some of his favourite wildlife moments include being with Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Siamang Gibbons in Sumatra, Orcas in the fjords of Norway and Humpback Whales off the coast of Iceland. A generalist in the widest sense, David’s interests extend from botany and zoology to the study of the earth beneath our feet and the planets and stars above. He is always keen to understand the mechanisms of nature that explain a particular behaviour or phenomenon. His enthusiasm for astronomy also started at an early age when he learnt the constellations by locating the planets, galaxies and nebulae with his telescope. As an undergraduate, reading Mathematics and Physics, he took courses in astrophysics and became chairman of the university’s Astronomical Society. David has worked in the travel industry since 2005, during that time, he has organised and led many astronomically themed tours. He has seen ten solar eclipses and spent many nights viewing the spectacular Northern Lights from northern Iceland – one of his favourite places.