Raya's Story: How Did The Marine Mammal Community Make Me Who I Am?
Raya Stoyanova, my very first guest blogger, tells you her beautiful story of how she was first inspired to join the marine mammal industry. She talks about her first encounter with one of the word's awe-inspiring and eye-capturing animals: the bottlenose dolphin. That moment secured her dreams and course of life forever...
1. The Very Beginning
My love and obsession with animals started when I was a little child. I had a number of
pets and even rescued a horse that was left by its mother. I loved all of my animals more than
everything else and actually, I spent more time with them instead of with my friends.
Among them I was always the strange one, I couldn’t fit into any of those “groups” that formed.
Although I had a very happy childhood, I had a few nice friends which I will never forget, no
matter that we are not together anymore. I can clearly remember how incredibly much time we
were spending literally “living” in our imagination (that was a bit inspired by the movie Avatar
that we really liked because of the beautiful nature in the scenes).
2. Getting Into The Field
As I was growing fast, my weirdness didn't change. I was getting more and more passionate
about nature and everything related to it, especially when I met my first cetacean.
My parents took me to the local dolphinarium and as soon as I saw that animal through the
window I stuck to it and stayed there for hours. When that dolphin looked at me something
happened, I felt like all my life had been leading me to that moment. I knew that this is what I
want (to spend my entire life with the animal whose eyes captured my soul as no one else). In
that very moment, I realized who I want to be.
3. Joining The Community
I was only 10 when I first started to research more about what it's like to wear a wetsuit to work
and everything I was reading was making me want it harder and harder. At the age of 11, I went
to Oceanographic in Valencia and saw Yulka the beluga whale who was the first to raise a calf in
Europe, and that day I went through probably 100 websites to see a pic of the little baby Kylu
and accidentally found IMATA which got my interest fast and later on I joined as a member.
4. Becoming The Current Me
After I joined IMATA I started searching the profiles of some of the trainers I met online and as I
was scrolling I came across the accounts of a few aspiring trainers who were my age and who
became my very good friends later. Finally, I came upon the Instagram of Ellie Davies (such an
amazing and inspiring person. So passionate about every single thing she is doing and so
well-versed in every post and book she has written). She is one of those people who are doing
their best to fight for the animals’ rights. She is really one of my role models, I wish I had that
powerful speech with which she is gifted. Besides all the research I did, her posts and blogs
also contributed to the construction of my opinion about many topics.
My story is way too long to be written in a blog no matter that I am still young, but what I want to
say is BIG thanks to Ellie Davies for everything!
I will carry on following my dream till the very end. I am sure her words will encourage a lot more people to find their way and fight for a brighter future both for us (the humans) and nature!
Raya Stoyanova
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