About Us
Hugo Valdes-Vera
Hugo Valdes-Vera
Hugo Valdes-Vera
FOUNDER
Born in Chile, Hugo has been an activist involved in environmental cause for most of his life. One of the original members of Think Ocean, which in 1992 started the campaign against whale hunting in Antarctica, creating the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary three years later was as well a founder member of “4mts by 4mts and two handmade ca
FOUNDER
Born in Chile, Hugo has been an activist involved in environmental cause for most of his life. One of the original members of Think Ocean, which in 1992 started the campaign against whale hunting in Antarctica, creating the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary three years later was as well a founder member of “4mts by 4mts and two handmade cages” wildlife rescue centre, as he recalls the beginning of their “project” in his city of San Antonio. With effort and commitment towards the earth and the respect and care that all the species on this planet deserve, today, that little attempt of rescue centre is the third largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Latin America.
After moving to different countries working towards other environmental goals like CITES program in Brazil and Peru, tackling wildlife trafficking and deforestation, he moved permanently to the UK where started his work toward plastic pollution and the effects on the planet.
He founded Think Ocean in 2021, with two main goals. Educating the new generations to make sure they grow up knowing naturally that we have to take care for our planet and cleaning the pollution that is already in the environment.
Noleen Mariappen
Hugo Valdes-Vera
Hugo Valdes-Vera
CO-FOUNDER
Although now in the UK and working internationally, I was born in South Africa, during apartheid, and spent the first 16 years of my life, legally a lesser person. As difficult as things were for her me, I saw how they were even tougher for others and the impact this had on the environment. As a 9 year old I submitted a poem for
CO-FOUNDER
Although now in the UK and working internationally, I was born in South Africa, during apartheid, and spent the first 16 years of my life, legally a lesser person. As difficult as things were for her me, I saw how they were even tougher for others and the impact this had on the environment. As a 9 year old I submitted a poem for a competition, and wrote about a homeless man and the place he lived. That’s what affected me, the inequality, the environment, the challenges… and for as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to make the world a better place, and have actively worked toward this. I worked with non-profits but saw the potential that business could have to scale impact. I progressed my consulting, focused on strategy, operations and sustainability, overseeing multi-million pound projects, working across nations, sectors and industries, and it was while working with impact founders, that I first recognised the power of technology as a facilitator in scaling sustainable development. My belief in the ability to harness the power of collaboration, with education and technology as facilitators to create and scale impact in a way that can make a dent in the social and environmental challenges we face, is what brought me to work alongside Hugo on Think Ocean’s mission. We hope that you will join us!
Angela Sara West
Hugo Valdes-Vera
Angela Sara West
PR/CELEBRITY AMBASSADOR LIAISON
Celebrity cover journalist Angela Sara West writes for various international titles and has interviewed everyone from Michael Douglas, The Spice Girls and Sir Richard Branson, to Bear Grylls, Claudia Schiffer and Sir Cliff Richard.
Born, bred and based in Surrey, near London, she’s also a TV & film producer,
PR/CELEBRITY AMBASSADOR LIAISON
Celebrity cover journalist Angela Sara West writes for various international titles and has interviewed everyone from Michael Douglas, The Spice Girls and Sir Richard Branson, to Bear Grylls, Claudia Schiffer and Sir Cliff Richard.
Born, bred and based in Surrey, near London, she’s also a TV & film producer, events planner and is currently working on the high-profile Hollywood-meets-Halloween Ball.
She’s also the founder of UK’s Surrey Fashion Week (SFW) which sees a bi-annual celebrity charity catwalk show with a sustainable theme.
Join us at her star-studded SFW this winter, which will be in aid of Think Ocean!
With her strong eco credentials, we’ve brought planet-passionate Angela on board #TeamThinkOcean to create exciting celebrity campaigns, secure celeb ambassadors, and raise awareness of the importance of us all to unite and be ‘earth & ocean conscious’ for the sake of our kids and the future of Planet Earth.
Watch this space for her big-name interviews and projects - coming soon!
Insta @angela_sara_west
Michaela (Cayla) Doyle
Michaela (Cayla) Doyle
Michaela (Cayla) Doyle
CONSULTANT
Originally born in Kent we moved to Cornwall when I was 3 years old.
For the last 30 years both myself and my siblings and now are children have been raised by the sea.
We’ve been taught the power, dangers and beauty of the ocean as well as seen the damage that pollution can do to it.
My sons school have gone into great detail tea
CONSULTANT
Originally born in Kent we moved to Cornwall when I was 3 years old.
For the last 30 years both myself and my siblings and now are children have been raised by the sea.
We’ve been taught the power, dangers and beauty of the ocean as well as seen the damage that pollution can do to it.
My sons school have gone into great detail teaching students about plastic pollution and it’s been wonderful to see that even at a young age the next generation are learning about what they can do to help prevent this problem getting worse.
It’s an honour to be able to work with Think Ocean and work with the team to provide a solution and take care of our beautiful oceans.
Thomas Shakespeare
Michaela (Cayla) Doyle
Michaela (Cayla) Doyle
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Bio coming soon
Anastasia BSc Hons ; MSc
Anastasia BSc Hons ; MSc
Anastasia BSc Hons ; MSc
PROJECT MANAGER
Originally from Kent , I’ve been surrounded by water my entire life! A swimmer , lifeguard and scuba diver protecting the oceans only made sense to me. I graduated with a MSc in Marine Ecosystem Management from St Andrews after studying my undergraduate degree in Derby itself.
My research has specialised in the dangers of
PROJECT MANAGER
Originally from Kent , I’ve been surrounded by water my entire life! A swimmer , lifeguard and scuba diver protecting the oceans only made sense to me. I graduated with a MSc in Marine Ecosystem Management from St Andrews after studying my undergraduate degree in Derby itself.
My research has specialised in the dangers of ghost gear from entanglements of elasmobranchs, mammals , reptiles and cetaceans to risks of biofouling within the ghost fishing cycle.
I‘m honoured to work with think ocean in preventing plastics such at fishing nets from entering fragile marine ecosystems and working on cleanup efforts to prevent them from damaging them further.
Oscar
Anastasia BSc Hons ; MSc
Anastasia BSc Hons ; MSc
CREW MEMBER
Ones of the key members of Think Ocean, has been with us for almost 13 years.
Now with a bit less energy, is 100 percent of the time hanging out as close to a human as possible, so he moves his "blanky" anywhere he wants to be comfortable while he is in the mix all day.
All of his creative thinking is done with his eyes closed b
CREW MEMBER
Ones of the key members of Think Ocean, has been with us for almost 13 years.
Now with a bit less energy, is 100 percent of the time hanging out as close to a human as possible, so he moves his "blanky" anywhere he wants to be comfortable while he is in the mix all day.
All of his creative thinking is done with his eyes closed but when not sleeping, he is barking to the postman, to a plane, a noise, a cat, to a leaf that fell from a tree around the corner. Actually, barking to everything that exist on this planet.
Co-pilot by default, will never say no to a car ride!!