One Paddleboard and a Mission to Clean the Coast

Since January, Ben has paddleboarded and hiked 758km while clearing 758kg of coastal rubbish, raising funds for the Marine Conservation Society.

Last year, I cycled the distance of the flight from London to Vancouver (7,587km, give or take) raising funds and awareness for the Sussex Dolphin Project, a marine mammal conservation non-profit here in the south of the UK. This took place in the months leading up to a trip out to Canada, to visit some friends and experience the wildlife of British Columbia through a bikepacking and whale watching trip to remember - or Wheels & Whales as I like to call it!

This year, ahead of another trip to BC later this summer, I’ve set myself a follow-on challenge to continue exploring how I can bring some purpose to the idea of living adventurously. Since January, I’ve been hiking and paddle boarding towards a 758.7km target (inspired by the flight distance once again), whilst beach cleaning 758.7kg worth of rubbish off the local coastline, in support of the Marine Conservation Society.

Nearing the end of the UK-based leg of this challenge, I’ve been reflecting on some of the highlights from the year so far: successfully chasing down a humpback whale on foot here in Sussex; to paddling beneath starling murmurations at sunset and the Seven Sisters at sunrise; to finding unexpected joy and purpose in cleaning beaches whilst engaging with a local community with a shared passion for giving something back to the places that give us so much.

From a weekend of walking the 150km home to Brighton from work in London, to plenty of local bivvy overnighters, and most recently, paddling the Jurassic Coast whilst cleaning the seas and shores as I went along - it’s been a great excuse to spend so much time doing the things I love in local nature, whilst raising some money to support those working to restore health to our blue isle.

The Longshore touring paddleboard, I’ve nicknamed Tilly after the killer whale Tilikum of Blackfish infamy (I’m a huge whale nerd if that hasn’t come across so far!), has been the perfect tool for the paddling part of this journey. I was new to stand up paddle boarding at the start of the year, but I soon got to grips with the technique and started to fall in love with seeing my home from the water.

Moving at a humbling average speed of ~5km/hr, it’s forced me to be more aware of winds and tides and given me a deeper respect for the sea than ever before, whilst opening my eyes to some of the local marine life from a new perspective. Often greeted by energetic and charismatic species like fulmar, kittiwake, oystercatchers, terns, mullet and curious seals (and even a couple of fleeting sightings of porpoise and otter), no two paddles have been the same.

I’ve also been so energised by this idea of from-the-door amphibious adventures. Being able to strap the board and pump to my back alongside some snacks and other supplies, combined with a decent local public transport network, has opened up some memorable point-to-point paddle routes.

This past weekend in Dorset, I took that concept further, adding a lightweight sleeping setup to my pack, officially realising my dream of SUP-packing/touring, which I’ve had since the start of the year. The Purbeck coastline is rugged and wild enough for this to have felt like a proper adventure, covering 70km on the water over 2 days, bridged by a couple of prime clifftop wild camps under starry skies - it really doesn’t get much better than that!

At the end of the month I’m heading back out to Canada, where I plan to finish off the challenge with an unsupported mountain bike ride taking in 7,587m of elevation somewhere in the Sea to Sky region - following a month long bikepacking trip up to the islands of Haida Gwaii, which I’m more than a little excited for… However, these past couple of years of deliberately pushing myself to engage with local nature more actively, in an adventurous way whilst trying to give something back, have shown me that you don’t need to travel overseas to get a heck of a lot from the outdoors!

It’s of course also made me more aware than ever of the urgent need for ecological conservation efforts here in the UK. The Marine Conservation Society is doing just that - protecting, restoring and rewilding our coastal and marine ecosystems and wildlife in the face of increasing threats. If you’re able to donate to the fundraiser to support this work, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.