Peter Tilbury started working in the whaling industry after serving as an Observer in the Royal Air Force. He worked as Able Seaman on Christian Salvesen & Co. ships during the whaling seasons 1945-47. From 1948, he left whaling to join a venture for hunting sea lions in West Falkland backed by the Falkland Islands Government. The project used ships Golden Chance and Protector III. In 1952 the project was abandoned after lacking success.