mermaid.kayleigh

Thalassaphobia: fear of deep bodies of water. 🌊 Tag someone who would never jump in. 😨 #Thalassophobia #FearOfTheDeep #OpenWater #Ocean #deepsea #openocean #alone

How cute are these puffer fish?! The @insta360_official X4 was perfect for these cute guys swimming at the camera at every angle! I could let the camera shoot but never miss a cute puffer face because I could reframe later! Grab yours now! Use my code INRME6L at check out for a free gift! 🐡 #Insta360 #pufferfish #mexico #ocean #Insta360Diving #Insta360X4 #snorkeling

Just when I’d thought I had some amazing orca encounters, the ocean threw this day at us! The ocean is truly full of surprises. This day started off by coming across an entangled humpback whale & waiting with it for hours until help arrived to ultimately free it from its net entanglement. Despite it being extremely hot & missing out on any swimming or wildlife searching, there wasn’t a thought in anyone’s mind to leave the entangled whale until help arrived. Once help arrived maybe 4 hours later, we decided to end the day with a snorkel with sea lions so that we were able to get in the water that day. I was actually sick so I stayed on the boat which ended up being the best turn of events. While everyone was snorkeling I noticed a boat & some fins in the distance. I picked up the binos & to my surprise it appeared to be orcas! I didn’t want to assume & be let down so I needed to get quick confirmation from @fernietow. We were all screaming with excitement once we realized it was in fact orca! It was the most immediate ocean karma I’d ever experienced. This area of Mexico needs some management & regulation for the orca here. I saw some horrific harassment while there but on this day we were so blessed to have some orca to ourselves with other well behaved boats interacting with their own orca nearby. Seeing them feast on the turtles was just mind blowing and my brain was without noise the entire time. I was so present I didn’t even have a single thought in my head! It was just empty & in awe. Like a meditative state. I think observing them like this can be so beautiful & respectful if done right. I’m still processing this interaction a month later but I can’t wait to dig through the videos again to show you all what it was like! Until then, enjoy some of these beautiful photos by @camgrantphoto on our @kaimana.expeditions with @latitude.encounters ✨ #orca #turtles #ocean #killerwhales #orcas #oceansafari #whalewatch #mexico

Make sure to make time to be in awe. ✨ Sometimes people will comment on my posts to leave nature alone. “Don’t go into their home.” But what these people have forgotten is that we are a part of nature & not separate. The earth is all of our home. Being in nature can actually help make us better stewards for this planet & better humans overall. Nature has some of the most amazing benefits for physical & mental health including reducing stress, boosting immunity, encouraging mindfulness & empathy, inspiring conservation & more. Be sure to be respectful around nature & wildlife & if you can leave it better than you found it by picking up trash. 💙🙏🏼🌏 Video taken by @Elizabeth Morri Sides @KaimanaOceanSafari #whaleshark #nature #ocean #hawaii #sharkdive #sharkdiving #swimwithsharks #freediving

Another week of picking up trash out of the ocean @KaimanaOceanSafari! There’s always at least one hater in the comments saying how what we are doing is not enough but I’m a huge believer in every little bit helps! Some of the trash this week definitely could have entangled wildlife so I’m so glad to have grabbed it. We can help to keep the ocean clean by using less single use plastic or eating less or no seafood since one of the main contributors to marine debris is the seafood industry. It never hurts to pick up a few pieces of trash when you’re out in nature! Let me know the ways you help the ocean in the comments! 💙🌊 #ocean #snorkeling #marinedebris #singleuseplastic #oceansafari #cleanuptheocean #hawaii #kona

It’s believed that sharks have good eyesight, especially in low light conditions due to a reflective layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum. This reflective layer is found mostly in pelagic, open ocean species that can be in deep, dimly lit water, like this blue shark here. Sharks can however struggle more to see in murky or muddy waters as the murk can block light & reduce contrast. It’s always best to avoid swimming in murky waters to avoid mistaken identity appearing as prey to a shark. Sharks are very good at seeing what we are majority of the time, but avoiding appearing like prey is part of our job when entering their home, the ocean. On this dive a wall of green water came in so for safety we decided to exit the water just after I filmed a quick video! When you’re at the beach avoid swimming near river mouths, after heavy rainfall, and near harbor mouths so you’re not swimming in waters that are cloudy & may have a fishy scent. 🦈 #savesharks #blueshark #diving #sharkdive #sharkdiving #ocean #murkywater

If you’re a diver & love sharks you definitely need to have @BAD with @Fiji Shark Lab on your bucket list!! 🤿🦈🙌🏼 #sharknado #bullshark #fiji #sharkdive #ocean

Can stingrays be friendly? Yes! Stingrays are usually gentle & shy, but they can be curious, especially in places where they’re used to humans. They may glide up calmly or brush past you out of curiosity. Be sure to shuffle your feet in shallow water so you don’t startle one resting on the sand. Don’t make sudden erratic movements. Stay calm & gentle. Their sting is purely for defense & not aggression. The tragic accident with Steve Irwin was a rare, freak event involving a startled stingray. Respect their space and stay calm, and you’ll likely have a peaceful, magical encounter. ✨ #oceanroomba #stingrays #rays #ocean #belize

Their clicks are the loudest animal sounds on Earth reaching up to 230 decibels & are used for echolocation and communication across vast distances in the ocean! DM me for trip details to get to see these amazing animals in person! #whales #whalewatching #ocean #snorkel #whale

My favorite ✨magic✨ shoes! My @Cressi1946 fins have taken me to so many amazing places with the most beautiful interactions! Where to next?! #ocean #freediving #snorkel #sharks #whales

Dive DEEPER into the world of SHARKS this SHARK WEEK with @Fahlo bracelets in partnership with @Saving the Blue! 🦈 With Fahlo you can track REAL hammerhead sharks & you might spot your shark in this year’s episodes! 💙 Will you be watching & tracking?! #SharkWeek #FahloPartner #Fahlo #MyFahlo #discoverysharkweek

Orcas don’t just hunt together, they share their food too. These intelligent apex predators have been seen dividing prey among pod members and even offering leftovers to humans. In a recent article by @bbcwildlifemagazine researchers documented 34 instances where orcas deliberately offered prey (fish, stingrays, even seaweed and turtles) to humans across six different populations! Sharing food is a way to build their relationships and may be just out of concern for another’s well being. In this video it felt like the orcas were showing me their food rather than offering it but knowing their concern for others always reminds me how deeply profound their relationships are. #Orcas #KillerWhales #Ocean #snorkeling #whalewatch

Were you surprised at the wildlife I saw on today’s ocean safari? 🦈 We never know what we’ll find out there tracking wildlife! But with SHARK WEEK right around the corner I’m tracking real hammerhead sharks with @Fahlo bracelets in partnership with @Saving the Blue! I’m hoping to spot my shark in this year’s episodes! 💙 Will you be watching & tracking?! #SharkWeek #FahloPartner #Fahlo #MyFahlo #discoverysharkweek