Leo Bellis-Jones | Freediver | Underwater Photographer | UK | Australia
Leo Bellis-Jones is an avid underwater photographer, adventurist, and ocean activist from London, now based in Byron Bay Australia.
Leo is also the founder of the social impact brand Ripl, which aims to tackle the cycle of poverty and pollution in Bali. We love seeing fellow brands advocating for our oceans and making real-life changes for our planet.
When did you first start your storytelling journey?
When the pandemic kicked off I was travelling around Australia and found myself happily stranded in Byron Bay. To keep myself entertained I bought a kayak and started paddling around the bay to watch the whales during their migration.
It was only after a met some incredible underwater photographers on the water that I started freediving and eventually shooting underwater.
I’m very lucky to have Julian Rocks marine reserve in my backyard, which is one of the most bio-diverse places I’ve ever seen. The abundance of spectacular creatures that call it home is a testament to the importance of protected areas and it was a great place to start learning my craft.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
I grew up in the UK nowhere near the ocean, but after discovering wakeboarding as a kid I was hooked.
We went on a family holiday to Greece where a met a bunch of people working on the beach, driving speedboats, teaching water sports, and living the most amazing lifestyle. Even as a 14-year-old, I knew this was a path I wanted to go down.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
After leaving school I qualified as a wakeboard instructor and spent a few summer seasons working in Greece.
After uni, I started following a more conventional path and began working in a London ad agency. It was a lot of fun, but I knew something was missing. Being so far from the ocean left a big hole in my life. So after 5 years doing the 9-5 I began working remotely and moved to Egypt so I could spend my free time kitesurfing and diving.
A year later (and after a winter in Canada) I found myself in Australia, where I discovered freediving and underwater photography.
What/who currently inspires you?
I’m most inspired by grassroots activists. It’s not just the big names or famous organisations who make a difference, it’s people taking action in their community, day in and day out.
From rallying people around a cause, spreading a message or simply leading by example, dedication and persistence combined have a huge impact. The Fight for the Bight campaign was a great example.
The Australian surfing community led a huge push against Norwegian oil giant Equinor’s plans to drill just off the pristine coast. Thousands of ‘pissed-off’ surfers rallied together and through paddle-outs, PR and a shared voice won a seemingly impossible battle. It was incredible.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
So many problems facing the planet stem from the fact that so many people feel totally disconnected from the natural world. It’s very hard to care about something you don’t know about or feel part of.
As soon as you chuck away a plastic bottle it’s out of sight out of mind. Investing in a pension fund that invests in fossil fuel companies doesn’t seem to make a difference when floods and fires are half a world away. And that’s why storytelling is so important. It brings the reality of the problem, the beauty of what we’re trying to save and the importance of it all into people’s lives and makes the result of their actions that little more tangible.
So to answer the question, I’d like people to feel more connected to the natural world. It would have a huge knock-on effect.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
Cleaner beaches and oceans, and more economically secure coastal communities in developing countries.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an Ocean Storyteller?
In my experience, the quality of someone’s photos directly correlates to the number of photos they take. If you’re in the water more, you have more chance of having amazing encounters, you have more time to develop a unique shooting style and more time to make and learn from mistakes.
So just get out there whenever you can and shoot shoot shoot. There’s no replacement for repetition.
What current projects are you working on?
I’m the founder of a social impact brand called RIPL Goods (riplgoods.com and @ripl_goods). Our mission is to end the cycle of plastic and poverty in Bali. We sell a range of insulated water bottles (predominantly to companies who co-brand them) and use the profit to employ locals in Bali to collect plastic from beaches and waterways, lifting them out of poverty. 1 bottle = 1 day of employment.
Running the company and our impact program is my main focus at the moment, which involves a lot of outreach, and searching for new companies to partner with who want to have a huge impact by gifting our bottles to their teams or clients.
INSTAGRAM: @leo_underwater
