Diving into Sarah Diggle Whitlock's Extraordinary Career in West Nautical: From Cage Diving to Yacht Crewing

Sarah Diggle Whitlock, Captain and Head of Department Specialist for West Nautical, has a career as rich and colourful as the seas she’s traversed. Incredible journeys into the depths with great white sharks have shaped her path, leading her to roles responsible for guiding and connecting the world of yacht crews. Having had her heart first stolen by her desire to save animals and a love for the open road in her early years, Sarah joined Greenpeace at age nine. However, she found her age restricitve in effecting the change she desired, ushering her towards her passion for travel worldwide. Her global trips led her to Byron Bay, where she became a dive instructor. Subsequently, her journey took her to Mallorca and later, South Africa where she practised great white shark cage diving - a definite standout in her career. A return to Mallorca saw her establishing connections with yacht captains and two globe-spanning journeys as a chief stewardess aboard sail and motoryachts. This series of well-suited roles helped her accomplish her childhood dream of traversing the seven seas. Sarah’s role at West Nautical, where she has now worked for 15 years, sees her using her experience and insights to pair yacht captains with crew candidates. Recognising the unique requirements of different yachts and yacht owners, Sarah thrives on the challenge of matching suitable crew members to each ship. Sarah also assists crew members in honing their industry CVs. The modesty of the individuals she works with often sees many sailing veterans downplaying their experiences - that’s where she comes in. Sarah helps to highlight their accomplishments, character, and unique stories in order to stand out in the competitive arena of seafarers. In providing advice to individuals starting a career in yachting, Sarah stresses patience, positivity, and hard work. It’s clear that her time as a chief stewardess continues to inform her outlook and strategies for success in this challenging, but deeply rewarding industry.