Bobbii Cartwright, a self-taught naturalist, sees about 200 to 400 tourists each week in her role as interpretive tour guide coordinator with the Bermuda Zoological Society and the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo.

When asked how her job interfaced with tourists, she said: "Constantly, as I do tours and lectures. All of the staff are ambassadors for the Aquarium and Bermuda when we are in the public eye.'' With 46 years experience in the tourist industry, 14 as a tour guide, she describes herself as a "Bermuda Onion'' who can trace her Island roots back to the early 17th century.

She is often asked what qualifies her to do her current job and she responds: "Thirty two years in the airline business?'' Since her original career she has worked as a keeper of marine and terrestrial animals at the Aquarium, organised and led nature trails, studied whales and has worked for several tour boat operators as a naturalist and snorkel tour leader.

Additionally, she has rubbed shoulders with many world renowned scientists and taken many facility courses which have enhanced her knowledge over the years.

She conducts research on animals and writes a monthly newsletter "Guides' Gable''.

Her field trips take groups to many of Bermuda's spectacular and fascinating nature reserves and parks, including unsurpassed pink beaches, and she can explain why they are pink.

The top five questions she says she is asked by tourists are: "Where's the bathroom? "Do all the fishes in the tank come from Bermuda? "Why don't the seals bark? "Why are the beaches pink? "Are you a Bermudian? This charismatic leader made a few suggestions on how tourism could be enhanced and one focus should be ecotourism in a bigger way.

"Tourists are wanting nature and our environment is unique. I am always saying, `If we only had a boat' we could do ecotours in out of the way places.'' She leads tourists on nature trails on Paget Island, Nonsuch Island and in November will be doing the little known hill trails of Ferry Point Park.

During her off-duty hours she even takes visitors under her wing for `impromptu tours'. She offers informative chats about the Island which are dear to her.

She advised: "We are all ambassadors even when we are not working. We should extend kindness to visitors. I've helped people when their bikes have run out of gas and when they are lost or wish to know something.

" We all need to be friendly and nice and it is very easy to do.'' When you take a tour with this energetic guide you get the facts on animals and places and a few local tales and amusing anecdotes too.

Ms Cartwright is responsible for training the Aquarium's volunteer guides who range between age 20 to age 80 and needs more volunteers to spread the word about nature, animals and conservation.

"I love people and I love sharing my knowledge of our unique Island with them,'' she concluded with a smile as golden as her tan.

Bobbii Cartwright, tour guide coordinator with the Aquarium.

TOURISM TOU