Valentina Kochian | Wildlife Guide & Photographer | Mexico
Valentina’s desire to share the wonderful underwater world with others has driven her toward her career as a photographer and wildlife guide. Valentina finds joy in connecting with people and animals and has worked towards co-existence through her studies and her lifestyle, and wishes to inspire others to do the same.
What is a typical day like for you?
I guess I don't have a typical day. What I love about my job is that is very diverse. Most days (my favorite ones) I wake up before the Sun and go to the Ocean to show people the wonderful underwater world of Baja. Other days I stay home, work on editing pictures and other office work. On free days I like to hike, camp, free-dive more or stay home and watch a good movie!
When did you first pick up a camera and start shooting underwater?
In 2017 I moved to La Paz, and I was having amazing encounters with wildlife that I wanted to share with my family and friends. It all started for documentation purposes, but it has become a passion, almost an obsession. It's funny because my dad is a photographer but it took me moving across the country to grab a camera and start shooting.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Spending a lot of time in nature. Where I grew up there was not much to do, pretty much being in the Sea or in the Cenotes. So I spent a lot of time in the water. It’s always been my home, and you want to protect home. That's how I got into marine biology and conservation, which eventually lead me to photography.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
I graduated 6 months ago, so I'm still trying to figure out my exact career path. I know for a fact that my life will always be in the ocean, and I want to work to protect it. I'm currently working as a freedive instructor and wildlife guide, where my goal is to make people fall in love with wildlife and create ocean advocates. To me there’s nothing more fulfilling than watching a person tearing of joy after having an eye to eye encounter with a dolphin, or taking my guests to dive with sharks and show them that with respect there’s nothing to fear, or guiding them through the freefall where people meet their true selves. I hope I can do something more directly related to marine biology and conservation in the future, but for now, this is my way to contribute.
What do you value most in life?
Family, which for me entails unconditional love. Connecting with people. Every time I have an amazing encounter underwater, some minutes after I feel full of joy but I think "how I wish [name] was here with me".
What brings you the most joy?
Having a wild animal interact with me because s/he is curious about me. To me theres nothing more amazing than that feeling of shared astonishment. And even more if I get to photograph it or share it with other people, that changes people's lives!
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
Many things! But I would say some of the most important things would be (not in this order):
- Wealth distribution.
- Passion. Doing what you love, not living for money (that itself would change many things)
- An understanding that without oceans, forests, animals... life on earth as we know it would be impossible. For that reason I believe education is soooo important!!
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking?
"Cod, a biography of the fish that changed the world" by Mark Kurlanski is one of my favorite books. It's a great book, and it makes you understand how it is possible that a resource that may seem "infinite" can actually be depleted, and fast. Also the documentary "Food, Inc" which I haven't watched since I first watched it 15 years ago, so that says something.
Who/what currently inspires you?
People that are passionate. It doesn't matter what they're passionate about, but when you meet someone who is in love with what they are doing, they transmit that to the World.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
To help people understand why nature is so important, why the oceans are so important, and encourage them to make more effort to protect it.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an ocean Storyteller?
Don't overthink it. I hold back on posting because I try to make every caption "worthy" or "meaningful", however I’ve realized that many times your picture speaks for itself, and people will react more to that (most people don't even read captions unfortunately). So try to take pictures that show a story.
INSTAGRAM: @valenkg
WEBSITE: www.freefallacademy.net
