About Big Blue Adventures

Meet The Team

Daniel
Founder, CEO & Adventure Host

“I have always wanted to be my own boss, to put my love and passion for something into a dream and see where the journey takes me. Having worked relentlessly to get my events management career ticking along nicely, I found myself looking for a new challenge. Then it hit me whilst on my sea-kayaking trip around the Isles of Scilly with the Marine Conservation Society, and also while exploring Asia with Heleen; I wanted to give people the opportunity to explore and enjoy outdoor adventures. To create first class, safe and fun experiences for people to remember and cherish. That’s how ‘Adventure = Happiness’ came about – Big Blue’s ethos. So now I combine everything I have learned from organising events with my passion for adventure travel!”

Heleen
CEO & Adventure Host

“To travel often is something that I intensely crave, it’s when I’m in my happy place. Exploring new countries and trying new things is when I feel like I’m living life to the fullest. It all started with Australia, where I first fell in love with living abroad. Whilst exploring and living in several countries, those unforgettable life moments really helped me carve a clear path for my dream job, Big Blue Adventures! Life is all about sharing memorable experiences with others and that’s what I get to do on a daily basis with Big Blue… My favourite BBA activity is probably coasteering, I like that feeling of pushing your boundaries, and jumping from heights is not something we are used to doing in The Netherlands!

Big Blue team member Nuno

Nuno
Group Travel Coordinator – Portugal

“I joined BBA because of Dan & Heleen, when I first met them (whilst out paddleboarding) and found out what they’re doing with Big Blue I immediately wanted to be a part of this amazing project. The possibility to work with passion and dedication and have fun at the same time. BBA is more than a work team, it’s a family! In my free time I’m also a surf instructor, so it’s not surprising my favourite Big Blue activity is surfing! I love being in the ocean and the feeling of gliding across the waves, and even when I get beaten up by some big waves, I do it all with a huge smile on my face.”

Big Blue Adventures host Igor in Algarve

Igor
Adventure Host – Portugal

“I joined the Big Blue family because I strongly agree with the business ethos which is to not only provide 5* service but also stand up for wellness and nature. The thing I love the most is our team. Nothing beats a day where I get to hang out with these guys and have a laugh. My fav Big Blue activity has got to be coasteering on the coast of Sesimbra! The different obstacles and height of the jumps into the ocean is awesome! I’m goofy both in life and stance in surfing. I speak both fluent English and Portuguese and I was once bitten by a baby shark, diving off the coast of California. That’s a story for another time haha!”

Big Blue Adventures host Steven

Steven
Group Travel & Events Coordinator

“After completing my Tourism & Events Management degree, I spent the next 7 years in Australia, New Zealand, and Cambodia. When I returned home and saw Big Blue Adventures was hiring, it wasn’t long before I was moving to Cardiff to join this awesome team. I love that I can travel with work and still get the chance to meet people from different parts of the world. I’ve always enjoyed adventure, and trying new things, so I’m glad Dan & Heleen introduced me to canyoning which is definitely my favourite Big Blue activity!”

Big Blue Adventures host Igor in Algarve

Hannah
Senior Events & Marketing Coordinator

 “Health, fitness, travel and sport have always been hugely important to me. As I’ve been a CrossFit coach and yoga teacher, I know how much movement and exercise helps improve vitality and overall wellbeing. I love exploring new places, hiking with my two (extremely) energetic dogs, long cycles, paddleboarding and being near the sea and mountains as much as possible. BBA’s ethos – Adventure = Happiness epitomizes how important it is to travel, seek adventure, and find happiness in what you do. This is at the heart of the company, and heavily resonates with every member of the team, the passion for adventure here ast BBA is beyond infectious!” 

Our Story

Big Blue Adventures is a group adventure travel company based in Wales. First established in 2016, running local trips, now we’ve expanded further with adventures in Portugal, Split (Croatia), Dorset (England) and with more destinations on the horizon! Big Blue is run by Dan & Heleen, a Welsh-Dutch couple with a love for travel, watersports & outdoor activities. We are supported by our amazing crew and a network of experts, with each package being tested by our team. We only sell adventures that we know are safe, of high quality and provide the best possible experience. Big Blue also aims to be as sustainable as possible, collaborating with Mossy Earth by supporting their rewilding & reforestation projects, partnering up with independent local suppliers and using as many eco-friendly products as possible.

Personal customer service is extremely important to us, we go that extra mile to make your trip an unforgettable one. This is reflected by the Travel & Hospitality Award we’ve won for ‘excellence in customer service’. We also picked up the Small Business Entrepreneur Of The Year award, at the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards and a TripAdvisor Certificate Of Excellence, among others.
We welcome everyone to join our trips. You don’t need to be super fit, young and experienced to go on any of our group packages. Our activities can be adjusted to fitness and confidence levels (from adrenaline-junkies to rookie adventurers), it’s all about trying something new and pushing your boundaries. We just love taking like-minded people on a tailor-made group adventure!

BBA coordinator Nuno paddleboarding in Cascais, Lisbon

BBA host Igor enjoying a sailing trip in Algarve

BBA CEO Dan sea-kayaking in Pembrokeshire

BBA CEO Heleen hiking in Snowdonia

BBA coordinator Hannah canyoning in Brecon Beacons

BBA coordinator Steven coasteering in Gower

Our own IPA beer supporting #2MinuteBeachClean thanks to Crafty Devil Brewery

Sustainable Travel

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It’s important to give back to the local economy in each of our destinations, so we always aim to partner up with local independent providers where possible.

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Reducing our carbon footprint – We support Mossy Earth‘s international reforestation & rewilding projects. Our corporate groups can also donate towards a Mossy Earth project, to reduce the carbon footprint of a company offsite & we will match your donation!

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Beach cleans! We’ve recently signed up to the Surfers Against Sewage Ocean Network to help protect our beaches, waves and wildlife. And where possible, we’ll include a beach clean on our group trips.

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No plastic waterbottles on BBA trips! We encourage our guests to bring their own reusable bottle or we may just add one to your giftbag…

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Our giftbags include many eco-friendly and local products, such as: organic suncream, handmade soaps without plastic packaging, 4Ocean bracelets made of recycled waterbottles, local craft beers & spirits, to name a few!

Colm D.
Colm D.
Booked a Lisbon Tuk Tuk tour with Big Blue for about 20 people as a work event at the end of... January. Really great experience from start to finish - from Heleen's responsiveness and flexibility as our numbers changed (including finding an extra tuk tuk 3 hours before our tour was due to start!) to Nuno guiding us expertly around the city and then back to the wine bar for some beautiful fado music. Really enjoyable afternoon from start to finish. Thank you!read more
Max W.
Max W.
I had the great pleasure of organizing this year's team event with Big Blue Adventures in Madeira.... From day 1, the first contact, everything went smoothly and the communication was always great. Individual wishes were taken into account and even spontaneous changes were accommodated without any complications. The week in Madeira was unique for our company and nobody could have imagined such a unique time beforehand. Our workshops ran flawlessly and every day was an adventure.The team from Big Blue Adventures is just as unique and they were a pleasure to work with. I would recommend working with BBA to any company. Thanks a lot and hope to see you again soon 🙂read more
Lizzie L
Lizzie L
Big Blue Adventures were the perfect partner for our first ever company offsite. Excellent... communication and flexibility around our plans and last minute changes! Would not hesitate to recommend the company - thank you to the whole team involved (Daniel, Heleen, Hannah, Nuno, Alex & Jake)read more
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