After gaining a degree in Physical Oceanography, Commander Varley spent three years undertaking research in underwater acoustics before joining the Royal Navy as an Instructor Officer specialising in meteorology and oceanography. In 1995, Peter left the Royal Navy to run his own meteorological, oceanographic and training consultancy.

When Peter left the RN he joined the Royal Naval Reserve where he was Senior METOC Officer and Head of the Air Branch.

Peter has forecast the weather onboard ships in the Norwegian Sea, the Mediterranean and the North and South Atlantic oceans. He also forecast at naval air stations and at Commander in Chief Fleet’s headquarters; he established forecasting offices in South Africa and Norfolk Virginia and acted as senior “METOC” advisor to Flag Officer Gibraltar and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic. In his last job in the Navy, Peter was responsible for the training, professional development and professional standards of all the navy’s METOC personnel.

In 1995, Peter set up his own meteorological and oceanographic consultancy. He continues to run his consultancy, mainly in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and its contractors. He worked to develop a method, currently employed by the navy, for assessing the effect of sound on marine life. He was Chief Scientist responsible for protecting the environment during trials of the Navy's latest sonar system. Peter has written a meteorological guide to UK ports, published by the Hydrographic Office and has been responsible for the creation of a computerised meteorological and oceanographic forecasting system for the Royal Navy.

Working with Hewlett Packard, Peter has developed training packages for a very wide range of the Royal Navy's operational software packages. His lecturing experience has extended far beyond the Royal Navy, however, as he frequently addresses sailing clubs and the like, and has appeared on Meridian Television as a weather expert.

Peter's love of the sea extends from his professional to his leisure interests where he is a very keen dinghy sailor and windsurfer. He also plays the piano and is learning to play the guitar.

1. Weather Folklore
Before the advent of satellites, telex and supercomputers we had to rely on folklore to foretell the weather. Are the old adages valid?

2. Lights Fantastic – Rainbows, the Green Flash and other Optical Effects.
As we cruise the high seas we have the opportunity to witness nature's wonderful optical phenomena. This talk introduces many of the natural spectacles that we may encounter.

3. Aurora
How do the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis form and when can the be seen?

4. Are we deafening whales?
Do the sounds humans release into the ocean affect whales and dolphins?

5. Earth’s Climate History
Earth has had a very turbulent climate history with large variations in temperature and atmospheric gases. What caused these changes and how do we know?

6. Earth’s Climate Future
How will Earth’s climate develop over the remainder of this century and what will be the impacts for humans and other life?

7. Scorchio – Weather in the Tropics
How and why does the weather in the tropics differ from weather at temperate latitudes. How and why do tropical revolving storms form?

8. The Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea has unusual bathymetry together with unique meteorological and oceanographic conditions. Find out more from Peter in this talk.

9. The Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea has unusual bathymetry together with unique meteorological and oceanographic conditions. Find out more from Peter in this talk.

10. Oceans in Motion.
What causes ocean currents? Where do they flow and why does it matters?

11. Weather and War.
A look at the role that weather has played and continues to play in war.

12. Navigation.
How has navigation developed from fairly rudimentary beginnings to modern, highly accurate navigation systems.

13. The Norwegian Sea – Its bathymetry, meteorology and oceanography.
(With sufficient notice, Peter will produce a similar talk for any area of the world.)

14. Monsoon.
What is a monsoon and how do they form? The Indian Ocean monsoon affects all aspects of life in the region

15. Am I safe in Tunbridge Wells? – UK’s natural disasters.
Jeremy Clarkson says that UK weather is "a rather limp wristed affair when placed in a global context". Is he right?

16. Waves.
A look at how and why waves form and how they can travel vast distances across the oceans. Peter also discusses the extremely unusual occurrence of "freak" waves.

17. How Weather Works.
An introduction to weather and weather systems.

18. History of Weather Forecasting.
Knowing what is going to happen to the weather has always been important for survival and to thrive. In early times people relied on astrology and folklore. Advances in understanding started with simple instruments and has progressed to supercomputers and satellites.

19. Time.
What is time? How do we measure it? Is it constant?

20. Ice.
A look at a fascinating and often beautiful substance.

21. Clouds.
A look at the beautiful and sometimes destructive power of clouds and the energy they contain. How do they form and how are they classified

22. Wild Weather – Natural Disasters.
Just how bad can the weather get?

23. Sprites, Elves and Similar Effects.
What are the whimsically named sprites, elves, pixies and gnomes? Are they the only lights high up in the atmosphere?

24. What's Up?
How did we come to know what is happening in the atmosphere way above our heads and how it matters to life at ground level?

25. Run Silent; Run Deep.
During the cold war submarines played cat and mouse games with submarine hunters. Who were the hunters and how were the games played?

26. Water.
Water is fundamental to life. Where did it come from and where does it go?

27 Climate Change in the Arctic.
Warming of the climate is changing the arctic, providing new challenges and opportunities. These changes are likely to have severe consequences for the whole world.

Peter has completed 39 cruises as an enrichment speaker and has received excellent feedback from the cruise lines.
He has more than 20 talk topics prepared although he will always bring them up to date and tailor them to the destination prior to a cruise.

Author of Lights Fantastic - A guide to understanding nature's spectacular optical phenomena

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.