A LITTLE ABOUT PAUL L

My big passion in life is in the care for animals and the wildlife around us, as well as loving life in, under albeit in a previous life, and now on the water. As a child I loved swimming which in turn led to my pursuit of scuba diving, a passion that over years resulted in qualifying as a dive master.

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It was during this period of my life that I spent three wonderful months diving for a conservation charity in Rotan, a small island off the coast of Honduras. Sadly ear issues curtailed this activity and I found myself looking more into animal conservation on land.

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Three fantastic trips at Care for Wild in South Africa later I was able to get up close and personal with a wide variety of animals. Hippos, caracals, servals and crocodiles to name just a few of the wonderful species I interacted with over my time spent there.

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For me though and by far the best and my favourite was feeding and cleaning out the bomas for orphaned rhinos, ranging in age from just three months old all the way up to seven years in age. A truly incredible and memorable experience I will cherish for years to come.

 

While I would love to spend all of my time in Africa, commitments back home in the Uk make it not possible and so while here I volunteer with the British Marine Life Rescue, or also known as the BDMLR. Aiding in the capture of abandoned or injured seals along our coastline.

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One of the great aspects of this is being a part of the release of rehabilitated seals back into their natural environment. A satisfying and rewarding role that has seen me involved in many rescues and releases to date since my joining.

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In keeping with the theme of being close to the water I am currently a serving rescue officer for Her Majesty's Coastguard and a part of the Southend Team. Another voluntary role that I split my time with between the many other passions and hobbies I have.

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Now as a member of the Blue Therapy Team and assistant instructor regularly on the water enjoying different craft as I work towards my Paddle Sports Leader qualification for kayaking and stand up paddle boarding.