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Longtail rescued from sea
Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Visitors help save baby longtail from drowning.


Scholarships for environment students
Saturday, July 18, 2015

Kahnae Bean and Shane Antonition have been awarded the 2015 Steinhoff/BZS Scholarship for students pursuing degrees in the environmental sciences.


Maya, 5, wins Zoo art competition
Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Five-year-old Maya Fitzmaurice Trott scooped top prize at the Bermuda Zoological Society’s Reef Watch art competition.

 

 


Setting Sail for the Sargasso Sea
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

The sailing research vessel Sea Dragon headed out to sea on Friday, June 5th to gather data on the Sargassum community around Bermuda, sponsored by the BAMZ support charities, the Atlantic Conservation Partnership and the Bermuda Zoological Society.


Preparing for Aqua Camp: It Takes a Village
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

While it would seem that after so many years of running Aqua Camp, it would be a walk in the park for those involved, it actually requires a great deal of time and planning to get ready for it each year. This includes ensuring that there are enough people involved to make sure it runs safely, as well as being fun and educational for each child that attends



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Dr Burnie given fitting ocean sendoff
Royal Gazette
Sunday, November 16, 2014

By Sarah Lagan
Published Nov 16, 2014 at 1:25 pm (Updated Nov 17, 2014 at 12:06 am)

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Dr Neil Burnie's funeral at Western Blue Cut (Photo by Sarah Lagan)

Dr Neil Burnie has been laid to rest, with his body placed in the water 600 fathoms deep at Western Blue Cut yesterday afternoon.

More than 100 boats gathered too see the much loved veterinarian and ocean activist “return to the sea”.

A plane circled the sea burial, dropping streams of flowers into the water as mourners threw wreaths and bouquets of flowers overboard.

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The Burnie funeral procession to Dockyard (Photo by Sarah Lagan)

Boat horns sounded in celebration of his life and his friends from the Ocean Vet team hurled his trusted harmonica into the sea to great applause.

Taking off from Albuoys Point just after 10am, the procession made its way to Grays Bridge for a ceremony. Opening with bagpipes by Davey Armstrong, Dr Burnie’s brother, Jonathan, took to the microphone aboard The Explorer where the coffin lay.

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Burnie’s boat with shark logo and Ocean Vet team (Photo by Sarah Lagan)

He described their family life and Dr Burnie’s love of animals from a very early age, leading him into a prestigious career as a veterinarian. He described his brother as a master fisherman, a musician, an actor, doctor and motorbike enthusiast. “That’s where his need for speed came from,” he said.

Dr Burnie’s son, Oscar Deuss, spoke of Neil as “a father, role model, mentor, best friend and my hero”.

He said the time they spent filming the Ocean Vet series with Dr Burnie at the helm was the one of the best experiences of his life.

Graham Pewter, a band member with Bones, for whom Dr Burnie sang and played saxophone, recalled how Dr Burnie once told him he was difficult to live with. But Mr Pewter said: “It will be more difficult to live without him.”

He described Dr Burnie’s best characteristics. “He was brutally honest, fearless, demanding, abrasive, an irresistible force,” he said. “Bye bye, my blues brother.”

Dr Burnie’s sister, Judith Sweetman, was officiating for her brother and recalled his mischievous nature and love of nature.

The procession made its way to Western Blue Cut, a favourite snorkel spot for the family, then a plane flew overhead and rained down flowers on the burial site.

Dr Neil Burnie leaves his wife Katrin, children Oscar and Kim and siblings Jonathan and Judith.