A New Malden couple will soon be embarking on the first leg of an amazing trip which will see them travel across the globe and back again in search of the worlds most wondrous marine animals.

Husband and wife team Malcolm and Brigitte Squires, from Kingston Road, New Malden, have run their production company The Videoworks for more than 15 years.

Last year, the couple went on an expedition to film the Titanics sister ship, the Britannic, off the coast of Greece. However, this is by far the most ambitious and exciting trip they have undertaken.

Mr Squires said: We are both very excited. We would never be able to afford this sort of trip as a cruise so this is an incredible opportunity for us.

The epic journey will begin next Tuesday as the couple and 10 crew set sail for Nelson, New Zealand, on the British warship HMS Bulldog.

They will have to refuel nine or 10 times and will sail via the Canary Islands, through the Panama Canal and on to the Galapagos Islands, filming marine life along the way.

In New Zealand the ship will be completely overhauled and turned into an expedition vessel over the space of six months to a year.

The couple will then return to England to run their business before rejoining the ship when it is ready to sail to the Antarctic and up through the Patagonia coastline.

Mr Squires said: I am really looking forward to doing some ice diving.

I have done some on the Thames before but this will be something totally different.

And the trip has proved incredibly opportune for Mr Squires as he will be able to visit his family members in New Zealand.

Mr and Mrs Squires now expect to spend much of each year on the boat filming marine wildlife across the world.

By.David Rankin