Sailor, storyteller, environmentalist, Outdoor Lover, meet Noa Hopper

Noa Hopper is currently mid-route on a solo crossing of the Pacific—days shaped by wind, salt, and horizon. A sailor and writer, he’s as at home navigating open water as he is chasing distant horizons. Following a solo Atlantic crossing, this latest passage marks another step toward a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in support of ocean conservation. Driven by curiosity, resilience, and a deep connection to the sea, Noa reminds us that the wild isn’t something separate from us—it’s something we’re part of.

Your parents pulled you out of school at age 11 to travel the world, tell us about that experience and how it has shaped you?

Traveling helped educate me to other peoples lives and cultures, and ultimately it helped me realize that happiness is a choice. I remember walking on this dusty clay road in Madagascar one afternoon and a group of kids came running up behind me. They were screaming and laughing together as they chased after an old car tire, taking turns to give it a wallop with their sticks. There was more joy and happiness in that group than I'd ever seen in other kids from my home in the US. In the states we've all got iPads and new cars and loads of stuff... but that's not wealth. Real wealth is waking up happy to be alive.

“It might sound weird to say but I'm drawn to the ocean because I am the ocean”

The ocean plays a huge role in your life. What keeps drawing you back to it?

It might sound weird to say but I'm drawn to the ocean because I am the ocean. All of us are. It's no coincidence that the earth and the human body are both made of the exact same percentage of saltwater. When we look to the sea we are watching a reflection of ourselves on the grandest scale.

You recently completed your first solo Atlantic crossing—what was that experience like for you?

The Atlantic crossing was proof that I'm more capable than I imagined. I get questions all the time from people asking if I get scared out there in the middle of the ocean all by myself. Well, everyone feels fear in one form or another. It simply comes down to the fact that I put myself in that position, I chose to go to sea and take on that challenge. One of my favorite quotes is: 'face your fears, they are nothing less than what your goals demand.' My next goal is to sail solo and nonstop around the world. Without a doubt it will be the hardest thing I've done in my life to date. But when I'm in the deep southern ocean, living through the storms and long nights, I will always remember the mantra: 'I chose to be here' and that reframe is powerful.

What helps you stay grounded when you’re far from land or routine?

The stars. They’ll always be there. No matter where I am in the world I know that they are still overhead, rising and setting in their predictable places.

You’ve written a book, The Boy and the Sea. What led you to tell that story?

Someday I'll be buried in the ground or the sea (preferably) and the only thing people will remember of me are the stories I lived and shared. I hope those stories are inspiring in some way. The Boy and The Sea was a passion project for me. I always loved Kipling, both as an explorer and author. For a long time I thought it was too bad there wasn't a version of The Jungle Book about the ocean. Then I thought, well why not me? So I wrote it. It's more inspired by Kipling's poetry than by the jungle book itself but I did my best to put love into it. The story follows a young boy who grows up in a family of fishermen in the tropical islands. One day his parents are swept to sea in a storm and, instead of giving up, he builds a raft to go out across the oceans and find them. Along the way he meets a host of characters who, like Balou and Bagheera, help the boy find his path. The real purpose of the book is to give back- 100% of the profits are donated to ocean conservation efforts.

“Face your fears, they are nothing less than what your goals demand.”

How important do you think storytelling is?

With the right tone and voice a story has the power to persuade and inspire, in the same light, stories can also be used to divide and destroy.  The motif of our generations storytelling seems to be about fear and helplessness... ‘the world is dying and there’s nothing you (a normal person) can do to fix it...’ 

I want to change that narrative. There IS good happening. And there are millions of people actively working to make our planet and its population healthy again. The problem is that this voice rarely gets the recognition it deserves. That’s why I’m sailing around the world now, visiting conservation projects, to help them share their stories. By convincing people that there is support behind the powers of good we can inspire the majorities to take heart and join the effort to learn creating a symbiotic future for all life on this planet.

Spending weeks and weeks on the ocean is tough on your skin. How do you take care of your skin?

I probably don’t do enough haha. but slowly I’m working to change that. There’s so much chemical BS in skincare products nowadays it’s nearly impossible to find something genuinely good for you. Rich and Joe at Utu convinced me to start paying closer attention to protecting myself. And as someone who’s in the sun 12 hours a day I’m learning just how vital it is to not only be protected, but to use the right product both for yourself and the environment. Utu is that product, particularly their ultra-protecting  Sunscreen Stick and I’m proud to be a supporter of their mission.

For someone looking to build a deeper connection with the outdoors, where to begin?

Just start. Put the phone down and Get outside. Whether that’s a 2km walk around your neighborhood or sailing across an ocean, there is nothing better that you can do with your time.

To learn more about Noa's Book check out The Boy and The Sea.