+Azul
+Sport +Science +Nature – this is the motto of +Azul, a project that transforms the Ria Formosa into a living laboratory for learning and environmental awareness.
The result of a synergy between the Sports Training Center (CFD) and Escola Azul, the project has embraced science as a fundamental pillar since its inception.
With SplashLab, +Azul has expanded its reach, integrating new partnerships and diversifying nautical practices at the service of knowledge and nature conservation.
THE RIA FORMOSA
IS OU LABORATORY
On Thursdays, science classes move to the water. +Azul transforms the Ria Formosa into a space for active exploration.
Canoeing is used here as a silent and eco-friendly means of transport, allowing us to closely observe the local geology, dynamics, and biodiversity. Our commitment to nature is hands-on: during every outing, we collect any litter we find, ensuring that our impact is purely positive.
This living laboratory knows no borders, regularly welcoming classes from our school cluster, schools from across the country, and international visitors from the Erasmus program, all united in the discovery and preservation of this unique ecosystem.
INTRODUCTION TO SCUBA DIVING
Organized by the +Azul project in collaboration with Sequatours, this introduction to scuba diving led ten middle school students (3rd cycle) to discover the richness of marine biodiversity. Under the guidance of instructor José Salvador, the program focused on the direct exploration of the underwater ecosystem, beginning with adaptation training at the Olhão Municipal Pools. After mastering the equipment and safety protocols, the students completed an open-sea dive, where observing marine life in its natural habitat replaced the usual distance, fostering a new awareness of ocean preservation.
Alongside the biological exploration, the initiative included a historical component with a visit to the former Ferreira Neto tuna fishing station in Tavira. At the site of the current Vila Galé Albacora Hotel, students immersed themselves in the history of tuna fishing, gaining an understanding of the legacy of the communities that shaped the region’s identity.
SAILING EXPERIENCE
Around forty students swapped dry land for the vastness of the sea for a memorable introduction to sailing. As part of SplashLab / ProBleu, integrated into the +Azul project and carried out in partnership with the company “Passeios Ria Formosa,” the activity took the young students aboard a sailboat, providing them with direct and challenging contact with the ocean.
Under the expert guidance of Ricardo Badalo, the students took command and learned to interpret the whims of the wind to steer the vessel. With the helm in their hands, the participants rediscovered an ancient art that our ancestors mastered, reclaiming an age-old knowledge that remains relevant and full of potential today.
The review of SplashLab provided the final impetus needed to realize that +Azul has the potential for so much more. Moving forward, the plan is to maintain the agility required to adapt organically to the windows of opportunity the future may hold. In the short term, we are mapping out an excursion into the world of cetaceans with “Passeios Ria Formosa,” focused on responsible contact and fostering an ethical respect for the sea and the creatures that inhabit it.
The collaboration with the Sports Training Center (CFD) remains rock-solid, and other partnerships are already taking shape behind the scenes. For now, we are keeping some details under wraps—partly out of academic prudence, and partly to allow these projects to consolidate away from the pressure of expectations. After all, we are only teachers. And while we are mindful that the rigor of school orthodoxy has its rightful place, it seems to us that, every now and then, the maritime horizon is the classroom that best teaches us how not to run aground in routine.
AND NOW?
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