How the Algarve inspires young people to become ocean heroes
The Algarve is known for its stunning rugged coastline, dramatic cliffs, and the mighty Atlantic Ocean that pounds against its shores. While many residents and visitors appreciate this natural beauty, for a new generation of young people living here, this environment is not just a backdrop – it is a powerful call to action.
Eleven-year-old Lily Niederhofer is an inspirational schoolgirl who is riding the wave of environmental action. A competitive swimmer and student at Nobel Algarve Almancil, she was born in Bonn in Germany and lived in California, then London, before moving to the Algarve in July 2023. Inspired by the region’s beauty and the magnificent ocean that surrounds us, Lily has successfully translated her love of the water into global advocacy. Lily’s story embodies the positive spirit and commitment to sustainability celebrated within our community, demonstrating that even as a young person, fighting for change in your local area can create a ripple which can lead to global impact.
A deep connection to the Atlantic
For Lily, the ocean is more than just a place to train; it is a sanctuary and a teacher. When asked about her love for the sea in the Algarve, she emphasises the sensory details: “What I love most about the ocean here is how alive it feels – the colours, the sounds, and how the light changes every hour. It’s different every single day,” she notes. “I feel happiest when I’m swimming in the Atlantic. It’s my place to think, to train, and to reset. The ocean teaches me respect and calm – and it always reminds me how small we really are compared to nature.”
This symbiotic relationship with the ocean, nurtured over countless hours spent swimming in the Atlantic, was the catalyst for her conservation efforts. As a competitive swimmer who finished first in the Algarve and ranked in the top ten nationally across all strokes in Portugal in her recent season, her time in the water makes her feel in tune with the natural ocean. “I notice the temperature changes, the currents, even small bits of plastic floating by,” she explains. She realised it was impossible to love the ocean so much and not feel compelled to protect it.
Swim for impact
Lily’s personal project, Swim for Impact, began three years ago, initially inspired by a wish to help others facing cancer. “My great-grandfather had passed away from cancer, and I wanted to help others facing the same battle. That’s when I realised swimming could be a tool for change.” Lily’s five-kilometre sponsored swim raised funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. This experience cemented her belief that swimming could be a powerful tool for good.
However, her environmental advocacy was sparked by a simple doodle of an octopus she drew for a school project, where she learned about the creatures’ incredible intelligence – their use of tools, camouflage, and capacity for play. This information was quickly followed by the heartbreaking discovery of plans for the world’s first industrial octopus farm in the Canary Islands.
A few months later, while swimming off the beautiful Algarve coast, she had a eureka moment: she was sharing the water with real octopuses, yet she also saw “a lot of octopus traps”.
The emotion that realisation sparked in Lily led to another challenge. Working alongside the One Ocean Planet foundation, which sponsored her, she embarked on the Octo Defender Challenge. She trained for months before swimming 2 km in the Atlantic, successfully raising over $12,000 for Compassion in World Farming. More impressively, her advocacy led to tangible political action. Through the Animal Rights Initiative, Lily testified virtually, explaining why octopus farming is ethically wrong and how it harms marine ecosystems and speaking directly to lawmakers in California, Oregon, and Washington. Her work led to her being invited to endorse the federal OCTOPUS Act when it was reintroduced to Congress. She also shared her passion and encouraged others to advocate for causes on the Women Mind the Water podcast. “My goal was to prove that even as kids, we can use our skills, time and passion to create change.”
Making waves locally and globally
Lily’s local achievements have since grown into a global movement. She co-founded Generation Blue and the Hero Kids Programme together with Carolina Manhusen Schwab and Dominique Lesser of the One Ocean Planet Foundation. Lily has been named Youth Ambassador for their foundation, a student-led initiative dedicated to learning about and protecting the ocean.
Generation Blue’s mission is structured around five core purposes, designed to empower young environmental leaders:
Education: teaching students about the ocean’s vital role in climate solutions
Empowerment: supporting young leaders to accomplish their own impactful environmental projects
Passion: instilling a deep sense of responsibility for ocean protection and restoration
Curiosity: encouraging creativity, innovation and curiosity for ocean health
Community: building a long-lasting network of environmental stewardship
The programme, which is designed for schools, involves students taking part in a challenge inspired by the “wedges” concept developed by scientist Carlos Duarte, teaching them how to protect and restore the ocean.
Generation Blue, together with other ocean literacy programmes from One Ocean Planet, has already achieved remarkable success, reaching over 4,396 students across multiple countries. Lily expresses immense pride that what started as an idea to bring together a few friends from her school in Portugal has expanded to include kids across Europe, the US and Latin America. She finds profound satisfaction in seeing others start their own Impact Projects inspired by the work done here in the Algarve, citing the African proverb: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, then you’ve never spent a night with a mosquito.”
Local school, global vision
Lily credits her school, Nobel Algarve Almancil, for providing “amazing support” and encouraging its students to think globally and act locally. She particularly highlights the dedication of her teachers, Miss Gray, Mr Pryde and Mr Williams, who played significant roles in her success beyond the classroom. Miss Gray, described as Lily’s “biggest supporter”, became the lead teacher for Generation Blue and even took on her own Octo Defender Challenge. Mr Pryde joined Lily’s challenging two-kilometre swim, while Mr Williams helped organise presentations to allow Lily time to speak to other classes.
Looking ahead, Generation Blue is expanding into two distinct paths to reach even more students worldwide. The Generation Blue Education path is a structured curriculum programme for schools, focused on ocean literacy, climate change and kindness, often led by designated teachers like Miss Gray. The Generation Blue Impact path (also known as Hero Kids) is a global online application model that offers mentorship and community support to children who want to launch their own independent ocean impact projects, regardless of where they live.
Lily is most excited about the collaboration between the Education and Impact initiatives, noting that the school clubs build local communities while the global projects connect everyone as one big team for the ocean. She is keen to continue Generation Blue with Miss Gray as the lead teacher for primary students in the Algarve. Lily observes that “the earlier kids start caring, the more natural it becomes”.
Sustaining the Algarve’s beauty
As a dedicated advocate for the ocean, Lily is acutely aware of the specific environmental threats facing the Algarve’s treasured coastline and marine life, namely plastic pollution and overfishing. She observes, “Every walk on the beach reveals how much plastic – fishing nets, bottles, and packaging – ends up in the sea.” She stresses that while the Algarve is beautiful, it is also fragile. To maintain its beauty, she insists, “We must change how we treat waste and what we consume from the ocean.”
How can you make a difference to the ocean?
For local families and community members reading this article, Lily offers simple, actionable advice to help protect our environment starting tomorrow. As she says, “Protecting the ocean shouldn’t feel like a job. It should just be part of how we live.”
Start small: bring reusable water bottles and bags, say ‘no’ to balloons, and commit to cleaning up a few pieces of trash every time you visit the beach. She believes that if everyone did this, the difference would be huge.
Talk about it: the more we share what we know – with friends, family or teachers – the faster change spreads.
Lily’s biggest hope is that the ocean is treated with the respect it deserves, recognising it as our life system. Her dream is for future generations to see “thriving coral reefs, healthy fish populations, and coastlines free of plastic. I hope that ocean protection becomes as natural as brushing one’s teeth.”
Her ultimate message to other young people in the Algarve who feel passionate about a cause is this: “Don’t wait. Start with what you have and what you love. Whether it’s art, sports, writing, or science – you can use your skills for good. And don’t stop until you’re proud.”
Like a tidal current gathering strength, this student-led movement is flowing from the shores of Portugal, connecting local passion with global policy, and ensuring that the Blue Future begins now, in the classroom, and in the sea.
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