Kayla Feairheller | Eco Diver | Freediver | Underwater Photographer | California | USA
Divemaster and freediver Kayla is a passionate ocean lover.
When Kayla is not under the water capturing special moments, she is busy as an Eco Diver for Reef Check or undertaking Ocean Exploration as an Engineering Manager within the ocean tech industry.
Kayla is also the proud founder of Bleu, a nonprofit organisation built to foster a culture in ocean conservation that encourages action and spreads awareness.
When did you first start your storytelling journey?
My first underwater photo was taken of a great hammerhead shark in Bimini, Bahamas in January 2022.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
My family vacations every summer are among the fondest memories I have. My passion for travel is inspired by the weeks we spent together road-tripping to destinations like the Grand Canyon. My passion for the ocean stems from the many salty afternoons swimming with my brother and sister and watching the waves for dolphins.
My love for my family burns bright thanks to these memories we’ve shared and I structure all of my travel or work plans around time with them.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
I became a software engineer for a college application platform and I was very focused on friends & family for about 5 years until the pandemic hit and I realised I had never made pursuing my dreams a priority.
At that point, I began pursuing ocean conservation by starting my nonprofit Bleu, I moved to California where Bleu began hosting beach cleanups, and I became a certified diver which introduced me to an entire community of divers who have begun joining my Dive Bleu campaign where we Make Every Dive A Cleanup Dive.
In my professional life, I have transitioned into ocean mapping & technology and I have started exploring opportunities in scientific diving and marine citizen science projects. In order to share my entire world underwater, I have picked up underwater photography, something I very much enjoy learning and growing in.
Who/what currently inspires you?
Madison Stewart, Sylvia Earle, Mads St. Clair, Zuzu Arzucan - badass women in marine science & conservation working to understand our oceans and inspiring the world to save them.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking, and that you'd like to recommend to other ocean lovers?
The documentary that changed my life was the Sharks of Lost Island. Watching the Nat Geo crew explore the Pitcairn Islands was the moment that made me realise I wanted to do something else, something more, with my life. It helped me see my own passion for ocean exploration as they uncovered some of the most pristine seas left. It also persuaded me to make sweeping changes in my life when they shared the sheer amount of plastic pollution they discovered on some of the most remote islands in the world.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
If people could understand how much positive impact they are capable of having, I truly believe more people would change for the good. It’s tough to understand how refusing to use one straw will make a difference, but with Bleu I am trying to articulate just how important that one straw is. I want to help everyone see that.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
I hope I can show people how wonderful it feels to make a difference. How simply beautiful and deeply precious the ocean is. I hope I can help understand the unexplored parts of the ocean and that I can answer some unanswered questions about it.
And I hope to do it all with good vibes & a smile.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an ocean Storyteller?
I’ll tell them to take a chance even if they’re not sure they have what it takes. I’ll tell them to never stop learning & to pursue their dreams every chance they get.
What current stories/campaigns are you working on (or hope to work on).
The campaign currently I’m working on is the Catalina Island Cleanup Campaign. Through the winter season on Catalina Island in Southern California, I’ve teamed up with Ocean Mimic to run a series of beach and underwater cleanups with Bleu. With the ocean in their backyard, the island community is eager to get involved and there is potential that this campaign will live on as vacationers return in the summer.
My dream is to tell a story about the coral changemakers of the world. Coral restoration everywhere is thriving and it would be an incredible opportunity to learn about the techniques currently employed, the evolution of restoration efforts, and the global progress that has been made in restoring coral reefs. This story could inspire so many more, it could spread awareness for the incredible work being done here (which sometimes results in funding), and it could be the beginning of a global coral restoration dataset (that is foundational to future efforts).
WEBSITE: https://bleuworld.org/
INSTAGRAM: @divebleu
