Georgia Laffoley | Scuba Instructor | Underwater Photographer | Jersey | Indonesia
Georgia is a dive instructor from Jersey, UK, currently living in East Kalimantan, and has been living in Indonesia since 2018.
When Georgia isn’t busy teaching new divers the ins and outs of the ocean, she is busy capturing critters and small creatures with her camera. From funky-looking frogfish to nudibranch’s the size of your fingernail, with her fantastic spotting skills, Georgia will find it!
“My favourite things to photograph are the smaller critters underwater that often get overlooked”
When did you first start your storytelling journey?
I became a PADI Instructor in 2018 and whenever guests or students would have cameras I was so eager to see their photographs, as I always felt it was the best way to bond with people and share stories after dives.
Photography has always been a passion of mine after studying it in school so I was quick to start borrowing friends’ cameras and trying out the underwater side of it for myself!
It wasn't long before I got my own camera and started taking it out for dives at every opportunity I could. For me, my favourite things to photograph are the smaller critters underwater that often get overlooked, from nudibranchs, shrimps and crabs to frogfish and cephalopods. I learnt so much about these creatures from spending time photographing them and wanted to share these images and any knowledge I learnt about them with others.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Growing up on a small island we spent as much time as possible playing in the sea and on the beach, I was actually always a little afraid of seaweed and "dark" waters and being from Jersey there's plenty of it!
It wasn't until I left home when I was 18 to travel Asia that I decided to try my PADI Open Water course, I was hooked from the first breath underwater! I kept learning and continuing onto the next course until I became an Instructor. I will always be grateful for those countless days spent on the beaches and waters in Jersey as I feel that it's one of the main reasons I feel most happiest and at home whenever I'm in the ocean now.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
Whilst everyone I knew was starting University, I decided to get a job in a bank and thought I would be stuck with an office job for a long time, however, I took my first solo trip to Australia when I was 17 and it made me realise that there was no reason I couldn't see more of the world and try something different.
I went home with the goal to save as much money as possible and booked a one-way ticket to Vietnam. I had no intention of trying scuba diving at that point and was just enjoying seeing new places and learning about different cultures. Less than a couple of months into my travels was when I tried scuba diving for the first time and knew there was no chance of me returning to my job back home. I admired all the people who taught me diving along the way and wanted to be able to do the same for others.
After spending so long not knowing what I wanted to do in life I felt extremely lucky to have found my passion at the age I did.
What/who currently inspires you?
Dr Frog Fish, a.k.a Daniel Geary. The reason why he inspires me is that he was able to create his own PADI Specialty based purely on Frogfish and everything there is to know about them all from the knowledge he has learnt himself. He has always been so quick to help me online to identify Frogfish that I have photographed over the last few years and has even written books all about these weird and wonderful creatures.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking, and that you'd like to recommend to other ocean lovers?
It's a popular one I'm sure but definitely 'My Octopus Teacher'. Showing us the incredible intelligence and curiosity of these ocean creatures.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
I feel that when it comes to environmental issues today, a lot of the problems come from people passing the blame or feeling that it's not their responsibility. I think a lot of people are quick to judge smaller remote islands, particularly in South-East Asia for their waste, but they fail to realise a lot of this trash is coming from other much larger cities and countries.
Bigger companies need to be making more efforts to produce environmentally friendly packaging, and better education to make everyone feel a sense of responsibility for their plastic use.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
For me knowing that I have taught and introduced people to the amazing underwater world and knowing that some of them have gone on to teach others also will always be something I'll be proud of for life.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an Ocean Storyteller?
Be patient and always keep doing what you enjoy, the story will be told better that way!
What current projects/stories are you working on?
I am currently working in a dive centre in the Derawan islands, Indonesian Borneo so whenever I can I take my camera out for some dives. I'm slowly adding to my camera equipment, having just got a strobe, so I'm excited to see some of the results over the next few months and share some more fun facts about anything I photograph!
INSTAGRAM: @oceancommitment
