Ocean activist saves 1,000 seals off Britain – and even built them a hospital

Lizzi Larbalestier, an ocean activist, has been instrumental in rescuing and saving the lives of over 1,000 seals off the coast of Britain. She is a passionate advocate for marine animal protection and has dedicated her time to rescuing seals, dolphins, turtles, and sea birds in and around her home in Cornwall. Her love for marine animals knows no bounds, and she even closely supported a wandering walrus.

For nine months, Lizzi provided care for injured seals in her Airbnb. However, she and other volunteers have now built a fully functioning seal hospital from scratch in Cornwall. The hospital is run by BDMLR volunteers, including Lizzi and her husband, and expects to receive around 100 seals each year for initial rehabilitation. The hospital is now in its third season and is a testament to Lizzi’s unwavering commitment to animal welfare.

Lizzi’s outstanding work has not gone unnoticed. She was recently honored with an Animal Action Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at BAFTA in London. Her pioneering work in marine animal protection has been recognized, and rightfully so.

Lizzi is a true inspiration, and her dedication to marine animal welfare is commendable. We need more people like her to protect and preserve our oceans and its inhabitants.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) has recently opened a new seal hospital in Cornwall, UK. This new facility was made possible by the hard work and dedication of a small team of volunteers, who received exceptional support from veterinarian Dr. Natalie Arrow. Although the team was limited by the post-COVID lockdowns, they managed to rehabilitate 139 seals and respond to callouts for pups on the beaches that needed their help.

One of the team’s key members is Lizzie Daly, who is also a volunteer Regional Rep at Surfers Against Sewage and a founder of the net recovery team Ghostnetbuster. Lizzie is a lead medic at the seal hospital and put her work as an Award Winning Blue Health Coach on hold to offer BDLMR four months of free project management to get the facility built. She even got involved in labouring on site.

The new facility has ten pens, which is a significant upgrade from the team’s previous home facility that only had six or seven pens. However, Lizzie emphasises that the day-to-day work is shared by all of the team’s volunteers, and each one is crucial to BDMLR’s marine conservation efforts.

Lizzi Larbalestier is a volunteer with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) organization in Cornwall. She helps rescue seals that are in distress along the coast. When a call comes in, Lizzi and her team of medics respond quickly to the location and assess the situation. If the pup is in need of medical attention, they transport it to a veterinary hospital where a vet creates a treatment plan. Lizzi says that they have clear protocols in place to ensure that the pups receive the best care possible, and it’s a real team effort.

Once the pups are rescued, they receive critical care to maintain a hygienic environment, hydration, nutrition, medication, and wound treatment. This stabilizes the pups and prepares them for transfer to larger rehabilitation centers, which can take up to three weeks. After receiving hospital treatment, the pups are transferred to either the Cornish Seal Sanctuary or West Hatch RSPCA facility before being released back into the wild.

Over the last six years, Lizzi has personally helped around 250-300 call-outs to seals in difficulty. Not all the pups came to them for care, as some required monitoring, relocation, first aid, disentanglement, and other interventions. Nonetheless, Lizzi has been an instrumental part of the BDMLR team in Cornwall, and her dedication to helping these beautiful creatures is admirable.

Lizzi Jackson-Hicks is a passionate animal lover who works tirelessly as a volunteer for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) organization. Her main focus is on rescuing seals, a task that has led her from caring for them at the seal unit to running a home hospital, and now to the new hospital where she has already helped around 200 seals. However, the BDMLR team is not limited to rescuing seals only, and Lizzi and her colleagues are called out to address various marine wildlife issues, including cetaceans such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. One recent case involved a turtle that came into Perranporth, which was referred to the Newquay Blue Reef Aquarium for specialist care. Another operation required the rescue of eight dolphins who were stranded in the mud at Mylor Bridge. Despite the challenging circumstances, Lizzi and her team managed to save seven of them, which would have been a complete loss had they not responded. The BDMLR has trained over 100 medics in the last few years, and each of them plays an essential role in their efforts to protect marine wildlife.

When marine mammals like dolphins and seals get stranded on the shore, it can be a very distressing experience for them. Fortunately, there are trained responders who can help to ease their suffering. Sometimes, the best way to reduce their pain is to allow them to pass away peacefully, rather than forcing them back into the sea. This is especially true if they are already very sick.

It’s crucial that anyone who spots a stranded marine mammal calls for help from these trained responders. Lizzi, an expert in marine conservation, is concerned about the increasing number of rare species that are being found in UK waters. This is likely due to various human-related factors, such as climate change, which is destroying the animals‘ habitats and forcing them to seek refuge in new areas.

There are many reasons why marine animals can get lost or disorientated. For example, loud noises can interfere with dolphins‘ ability to navigate using echolocation. In some cases, severe storms can also cause problems for animals like the Atlantic grey seals that are born between September and November in Cornwall. It’s worrying to see so many rare species struggling in our waters, but by working together, we can help to protect them and ensure their survival.

Lizzi is a marine conservationist who has dedicated her life to protecting marine animals that are facing the brunt of climate change. With her team, she rescues and rehabilitates animals that are displaced due to changing weather conditions. Lizzi has observed that animals like seals and walruses are struggling to survive in the face of increasingly bad storm conditions. While she is not directly linking climate change to these challenges, she believes that it is playing a part in this phenomenon. Lizzi is educating people on how to prevent further displacement of these animals, with a special focus on walruses. She is calling these displaced and out-of-habitat animals „climate change refugees,“ as they are forced to migrate due to changing weather patterns. Lizzi notes that in other parts of the world, people know how to live in harmony with large animals, but in the UK, it is unfamiliar territory. Unfortunately, people’s fascination with these animals can lead to their demise, as was the case with Freya the walrus in Norway. Lizzi stresses the importance of not disturbing marine wildlife and instead working to protect them.

The wonders of nature and its Blue Health benefits are truly amazing! However, it’s crucial to be educated on how to enjoy these benefits without disturbing the wildlife around us. We must be mindful of the potential consequences of getting too close to animals. For instance, seal pups can easily get separated from their mothers due to human interference.

That’s why the Animal Action Awards are so important. They celebrate those who make a positive impact on the lives of animals and inspire others to do the same. It’s fantastic to see people from all over the world, from different backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to make a difference for animals, people, and our planet.

One such inspiring individual is Lizzi. Her passion for ocean advocacy is truly remarkable, and her dedication to protecting marine life is admirable. If you’d like to support her work, head over to https://goingcoastal.blue/. Additionally, you can also support BDMLR at www.bdmlr.org.

Let’s continue to celebrate and recognize those who make a difference in the lives of animals and our planet. Together, we can create a better world for all living beings.