British Divers Marine Life Rescue

About us

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was formed in 1988 when a few like-minded divers got together in response to a mass mortality of common seals in the Wash area of East Anglia to do what they could for the rescue effort in response to the Phocine Distemper Virus epidemic that resulted in thousands of deaths.

Since 1988, BDMLR has been rescuing marine wildlife after every major marine disaster, including the Braer shipwreck in Shetland, the Sea Empress grounding in Milford Haven, and the Napoli shipwreck in Dorset.

Seal rescue has remained a major component of the BDMLR’s work, with medics rescuing animals in all seasons around the UK.