A GROUP of 12 paddle-boarders from Axiom Veterinary Laboratories in Newton Abbot took to the water in Shaldon to raise money for British Divers Marine Life Rescue.
The charity’s mission is to provide help to any aquatic (marine and freshwater) animal in need of help.
They were supported by MOCOAST (Outdoor experience providers) https://mocoast.co.uk/, whose owner Dom kindly arranged a discounted paddleboard lesson on the understanding that participants donated to BDMLR.
Anastasia Loxley said: ‘I loved it. Dom and Bobbie at Mocoast are laid back and easy to have fun with, they ensure your safety in an enjoyable manner and make you feel right at home in the water.
‘Paddleboarding is definitely something I’m going to pursue as a hobby now.
‘It’s fantastic for either fitness or relaxation time – a win-win for my evenings after work!’
Sheena Graham-Chapple described it as ‘An incredible experience.
She added: ‘I never expected to be able to stand up never mind stay standing!
‘The instructors were so friendly and helpful, I left the session feeling like Moana – one with the ocean” ‘
Lena Reynolds said ‘It was great to experience a new form of fun physical exercise, and at the same time contribute to helping our marine wildlife.
‘The weather was perfect and after initial tuition we all managed to paddle from Shaldon Beach by The Clipper café, either kneeling or standing, underneath the Shaldon bridge and further along the river then back again.
‘There were some wobbly legs and falling in, but plenty of laughter!
‘ A huge thanks to everyone at MOCOAST for a lovely evening. Some of us even stayed on afterwards for a swim! ”
BDMLR attempts to attend all call outs it receives whether that is simply checking a seal reported by a member of the public to a full blown environmental disaster such as an oil spill.
It has medics and various pieces of specialised equipment located around the UK coast and works with rehabilitation centres and experts in many fields of animal rescue.
Further information can be found here https://bdmlr.org.uk/ including some lovely pictures of seals and information about the new seal hospital they are fundraising for.