Shearwater Victoria Falls Founder Paul Connolly Dies Aged 72

Shearwater Victoria Falls, one of the largest tour operators in Victoria Falls, has paid tribute to its founder, Paul Connolly, who has died aged 72.

Connolly passed away on Sunday from a suspected heart attack while climbing out of a Zambezi River gorge after a kayaking trip.

In a social media post on Monday, 2 February, Shearwater said Connolly had made a lasting impact on the entire community. Part of the statement reads:

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Paul Connolly (72). He died on 1st Feb 2026 from a suspected heart attack while exiting the gorge following a kayaking trip with close friends.

“Paul pioneered canoeing on the lower Zambezi in 1982, founded Shearwater in 1985 and pioneered whitewater rafting on the Zimbabwe side of the Zambezi that same year.

“Paul was a renowned explorer and adventure partaking in great river adventures throughout Africa, sometimes with friends and sometimes solo.

“But to those who knew him he was much more than that.

“A warrior, author, poet, scholar, philosopher, conservationist, sportsman, raconteur, lawyer, friend, mentor and loving family man to Marie and his 4 daughters (Dani, Claire, Julie, Nikki) and grandchildren.

“A later day Allan Quatermain, he was one of the founding fathers of modern-day Victoria Falls and he left an indelible mark on the whole community.

“He ‘died with his boots on’ as he would have wished, but he will be missed by all who knew him.”

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