Albania to Corfu - Chloë's swim for the Ionian

Aim: I'm raising funds for locally led conservation projects that protect the Ionian Sea, its wildlife, and island communities.

Hi!

I’m Chloë, born and bred on the shores of Lough Ree in the heart of Ireland, where I learned to swim in the cool, peaty waters of the Shannon. This September, I’m heading east to the warmer, clearer, and saltier waters of the Ionian Sea to take on the 3km Albania Overboard swim from Albania to Corfu!

Sure, I’m in it for the joy and challenge of the swim. But the real reason I’m diving in is to raise funds and awareness for the Ionian Sea, its islands, and its people. The Ionian archipelago is a treasure trove of natural and cultural richness — think dolphins and monk seals, lush seagrass meadows, coastal oak forests, sea caves, and other delights.

As part of the team at the Conservation Collective – a charity that specialises in supporting local and grassroots conservation around the world – I’ve had the privilege of seeing first-hand the impact of the Ionian Environment Foundation (IEF), a locally led organisation funding conservation work that protects the sea and islands and supports the communities who depend on them.

This year, funds raised through the swim will go to a selection of exciting and urgent IEF marine initiatives — including the Marine Mammal Strandings Response Network, which provides rapid rescue and research for stranded dolphins and whales; the protection of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal along the North Corfu coast; the long-running Ionian Dolphin Project, which monitors and safeguards dolphin populations; and a new sustainable sailing programme to help charter boats reduce their impact on the fragile Posidonia seagrass meadows.

All money raised from this swim will go directly to IEF and to the extraordinary local heroes making these projects happen.

So please, chip in if you can. Share this page. And help us protect this incredible place — for the sea, for the islands, and for generations to come.

Go raibh míle maith agat (thank you!) 💙
Chloë

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 6th September 2025 at 12:00pm