Marine Life & Conservation
See Cornwall from a kayak with the Marine Conservation Society
Fundraising expedition led by expert paddlers will give a sea view of the Cornish coast
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the UK’s leading marine charity, is behind a fantastic opportunity to see one of the most spectacular parts of the UK’s coastline from a kayak, as part of an expedition led by seasoned paddlers.
For a fourth year, MCS is organising a kayak challenge to help raise funds for its vital conservation work, and after two events around the Isles of Scilly, the five day paddle-fest returns to Cornwall, where it began in 2014.
Seeing all the Cornish coast has to offer from a 17ft long sea kayak that carves through the water at four knots, crossing bays and rounding headlands to then ‘nose’ into caves, gullies and archways will be an experience like no other. With no engine the effect on the environment is minimal so the paddler is ‘at one’ with breathtaking surroundings. This is a trip of stunning scenery, fascinating wildlife, highly experienced guides and all in aid of the UK’s leading marine conservation charity.
Leading the expedition is Nick Arding who has worked with MCS over the last four years. Nick comes with an outdoors pedigree that is hard to match – so all the kayakers will be in safe hands.
Nick Arding OBE spent 23 years as an officer in the Royal Marines and led a Royal Navy expedition to climb the North Ridge of Mount Everest. Nick is a highly experienced rock climber and mountaineer, having climbed and ski toured in many areas across the world during the past 30 years. Nick is a trainer and coach in Remote First Aid and a BCU 5 star leader and Level 2 coach and ISKGA guide.
In 2013, Nick and his wife sea kayaked the length of Britain for MCS, raising almost £4,000 and received the charity’s Fundraiser of the Year award. The following year they ran the first kayak challenge around Cornwall.
This year’s event takes place from Saturday 6th May – Wednesday 10th May 2017 and will start from Port Mylor, near Falmouth. Accommodation is in tents. No previous kayaking experience is necessary – although it might be a good idea to sit in one before you go!
After initial training the group of up to 18, will head to the Carrick Roads estuary by Falmouth, then off towards Rosmullion Head, eastwards past Towan Beach and the austere cliffs of Nare Head. ‘Ralph’s Cupboard’, Samphire Island, ‘Deadman’s Cove’, and Mullion Cove will be visited before hitting the Atlantic swell off the Lizard Peninsula,and round to ‘Lizard Point’.
Paddlers will also get an opportunity to take part in a beach clean and get first hand experience of the shocking rubbish that’s washed up, dropped or blown on to our beaches day in day out.
Paddlers can either pay an initial deposit of £95 and raise a further £600 for MCS or pay £695 in full. Places are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis and with just 18 available you’re encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
To find out more about the expedition visit: www.mcsuk.org/url/kayak
Scilly challengers from previous events have said:
Robyn Shilland: “The whole week was an incredible experience. The guides were fantastic and adapted to everyone’s ability levels, and continuously helped us, as a group and individually, to improve. The challenge was well organised and perfectly suited to a group of mixed experience.”
Mike Hunter: “It was the most amazing experience, well organised and expertly led by our friendly, supportive and knowledgeable instructors. I learnt a lot about sea kayaking, conservation and also more general stuff about camping and all kinds of things from the other participants.”
Georgina Smith: “We learnt about rescues, which is a useful skill. And when one member of the group got in “the zone” and headed far away from everyone else they showed how they could kayak super fast when required.”
Chris Edgar: “I feel more connected with the marine environment, with a sense that there is a lot of work needed to support and protect these areas.”
To find out more about the Marine Conservation Society visit www.mcsuk.org.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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