Seals, puffins and sunshine: snorkelling trip to remote British island gives young carers a taste of the sea

“A seal just swam right by me,” squeals Odin Rawlinson, 14, as he awkwardly clambers back on to the dive boat in his flippers. He had hoped to see a megalodon or a kraken (a mythical sea creature) on his first ever snorkelling trip. But to his surprise, he finds the marine life that actually frequents the waters off Lundy in the Bristol Channel just as enchanting.

Odin Rawlinson on the trip to Lundy – the 14-year-old looks after his mother who has kidney failure and has to have regular dialysis sessions in hospital.

“I feel honoured,” he says. “Not everyone gets to have a seal just casually swim by them.”

Not everyone deals with the same daily challenges faced by Odin, whose mum has kidney failure and has to have lengthy dialysis sessions in hospital three times a week. Alongside all the other children on this snorkel trip, Odin is a young carer, trying to manage a family member’s needs due to illness or disability with their own. Some estimates show there may be over 800,000 young carers in the UK, with children facing difficulties at school, social isolation and increased stress.

The outing is the work of Seaful, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the ocean for their own wellbeing, but also to create advocates for marine preservation.

Young carers enjoy their outing to Lundy, experiencing the wildlife from a new perspective while snorkelling in the waters around the island

Lundy Diving’s Obsession II and the Barbara B at anchor as the young carers snorkel off the island

“Some of these kids live near the sea but never get the opportunity to connect with it because of what they deal with at home,” says Lorna Evans from Seaful. “Without a personal connection to the ocean, we cannot expect people to care about it. The idea is to provide opportunities to people like these young carers, who are most in need of something special, in order to make them fall in love with the sea – because when you love something, you will help protect it.”

It’s not hard to fall in love with it on a beautiful summer day, when the sea is a dazzling expanse of turquoise glinting in the sun. After about an hour’s cruise from Ilfracombe harbour, Lundy emerges on the horizon, a granite outcrop whose pristine waters are teeming with life. In 2010 it became the UK’s first marine conservation zone and features sandbanks, reefs and sea caves as well as a substantial grey seal population.

There is delight on board when several seals are spotted in the water and Seaful’s team advises everyone on how to behave without disturbing them. Odin gets lucky with his closeup encounter, but for all of the young carers, today’s ocean adventure is a high point.

A playful grey seal swimming among a kelp forest in the sea off Lundy in the Bristol Channel

“For some of these children here today, this is a once in a lifetime experience – a lot of their families would never be able to take them on this sort of trip,” says Evans. “Just being next to the sea is beneficial to mental health. People feel a oneness and sense of peace with the open space.”

Laurence D’Ambrogio, 13, has an older brother with ADHD and autism. “There are lots of places we can’t go – family trips are really difficult. I also have to look out for my younger brother quite often,” he says. “There are lots of times when I can’t do things, I can’t go out. I can’t have friends round very often. So today is a nice break – getting away from it all,” he says, reclining on the boat’s top deck to make the most of the panoramic views. Laurence proves to be the group’s most enthusiastic snorkeller, going back in the water for a third time when most of the others are cold and tired.

A view of Lundy from the boats

Laurence D’Ambrogio, left, says ‘Today is a nice break’; right: Gemma Bengey of Lundy Diving says taking the children out on trips is a tradition started by her late father, Andrew

Handing out some much needed sweets and hot chocolate is Gemma Bengey, co-owner of Lundy Diving, which has provided the boats and crew for the trip. Her late father, Andrew, took a previous group of young carers to Lundy and Gemma and her brother Ben are continuing to run the Seaful trips in his memory.

“My dad just loved giving kids who don’t get these opportunities the chance to go out to sea,” she says. “Out here, they can forget about their responsibilities for a day, they can forget about everything.”

One of the young carers investigates a rock underwater and right, a jellyfish floats by

As the boat pootles round the island, guillemots, razorbills and puffins swoop overhead and seals continually pop up in the water. On the way home, the boat slaps into swells from an easterly wind, and the young people enjoy getting drenched with sea spray on the bumpy ride. By the time they reach the quayside at the end of the trip, some are swapping phone numbers, promising to meet again.

Simon Barker, a local diving instructor who taught the children the basics of snorkelling in a pool the day before their trip, also volunteered to accompany them. “To have that ability to go under the water, immerse yourself in it and experience it in 3D, then that makes for an incredible experience, especially for these children,” he says. “When you see the wow factor on their faces, it gives you a real buzz. The ocean is key to life on this planet, and if we can pass on a bit of passion for the sea to others, then that’s all we can wish for.”