I’m Adelma Hills,

Snorkeler @ New South Wales, Australia

“Since learning to Scuba Dive in the English Channel during the 1980’s, it was always my goal to take up Scuba Diving in retirement. Unfortunately due to asthma, I was not able to continue. However, there was still snorkeling ! Using a 1 metre GoPro pole to get beneath the waves and record as much underwater life as I can. Snorkeling has it’s advantages, no cumbersome gear and most of the interesting stuff is closer to the surface anyway.”

“Being in the ocean is like flying, moving effortlessly in three dimensions, the ultimate freedom. Underwater environments are among the most serene and beautiful places on earth. Nothing beats a coral reef for sheer beauty and the most amazing biodiversity. I love to film the behaviour of fish and other sea creatures. And I get to relive the experience back on the surface while editing the footage. I often notice things I didn’t see at the time and I love the challenge of idenitfying all the marine life I’ve observed. It’s rewarding to share some of these experiences with like minded people on YouTube.”

“I’m lucky to live along the mid-north coast of New South Wales in Australia with the ocean only 7 minutes away with great snorkeling in the local river estuary which is a nursery for juvenile fish. There are quite a few of interesting species from time to time, as well as pods of dolphins. I was inspired to visit the most pristine and remote underwater environments left on the planet, while they still exist. Locations in Australia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and my favorite of all, Raja Ampat in Indonesia.”

“Snorkeling in these places makes you appreciate even more how precious they are and how vital it is to do everything possible to protect the ocean from the ravages of climate change and human behaviour. It’s particularly heartbreaking seeing first hand the enormity of the pollution problem. Steady streams of every imaginable kind of plastic waste floating past on an incoming tide no matter how remote the location. The same plastic waste littering the high water mark of tropical islands. It is important to support responsible destinations, especially those working with local communities to protect the underwater environment. Uepi in the Solomon Islands and Misool in Indonesia are great examples. Misool is a former shark finning station that has now established a marine sanctuary where these top predators, so essential to the health of the entire ecosystem, are making a comeback. Even small things are important, like heading off after lunch on a tropical island to collect as much of the waste as possible for a proper disposal.”

~ You can see more of Adelma’s amazing videos and photos via links to her social media at the bottom of this page.