Country of residence: USA
Diving since: 2012
Level/agency of certification: FII Level 2
Natalie Parra is a conservationist and freediver dedicated to inspiring collective action for the ocean. She has worked on the front lines of marine protection, leading impact campaigns for conservation initiatives, legislative action, and, most recently, environmental documentaries, helping turn compelling stories into lasting advocacy and tangible action.
As a Cressi ambassador and avid freediver, Natalie uses her time beneath the surface to document and share the visible impacts of human activity on marine life. She believes that each person carries the power to create profound change, and that compelling storytelling is one of the most effective tools we have to protect our ocean.
How did you get into diving?
When I was 19, I was visiting friends and they were going snorkeling offshore looking for shells. I grew up in and around the water, but didn’t have much experience below the surface, so this was new to me. I was a bit nervous but so relieved I ended up trying it because I immediately fell in love with the feeling.
I enjoyed it so much that I pretty much derailed my life plans to pursue proper freedive training and a life that would allow me to be in the water as much as possible. Little did I know that my experiences diving would lead me into a career I am incredibly passionate about, marine conservation.
What is your most memorable underwater experience?
Years ago, I met a giant oceanic manta ray while traveling with Cressi in the Revillagigedo Archipelago. She found us and followed us all around. She was really interactive and would come right up to you and look into your eyes.
I would dive underneath her and she would hover in place above me like this massive spaceship, mirrored with our bellies facing each other until I needed to come up for air. I’ve never felt so safe in the open ocean. Watching an animal larger than my car be so gentle, graceful, and curious was something I will never ever forget.
What is your proudest professional moment?
I was deeply impacted by the documentary film The Cove when I was younger. It examines ongoing dolphin hunts and their ties to the captive dolphin industry. After working in conservation for a number of years, I was actually hired by both the nonprofit whose work was featured in the documentary and the nonprofit that created the documentary. It was a very full circle moment for me that made me feel like I was on the right path.
What do you wish more people understood about the ocean?
None of us can survive without a healthy ocean yet we are causing potentially irreversible damage to it every single day. Everyone can and should be an ocean activist. That doesn’t mean everyone should quit their jobs, abandon their current lives, and devote every moment to marine conservation. We are all unique and able to reach different demographics of people through our professions, hobbies, and passions.
Find a way to incorporate ocean activism into the life you already live. That could be suggesting a conservation success story at your book club, participating in call-to-actions put out by environmental nonprofits in their newsletters or social media, or refusing to purchase from brands that put profit over the planet.
What advice would you give to a new diver?
Don’t focus so hard on one-upping your personal bests, getting the perfect photo, or having a close-up interaction with an animal you’ve always wanted to see. Go slowly. Take the time to learn how your body feels at certain depths and how quickly you consume oxygen. Don’t force a photo or an interaction. Just keep spending time in the water and these things will eventually come to you. That is infinitely more rewarding.
What is your favorite piece of Cressi gear and why?
My Cressi Gara Modular Carbon fins, so much so that I genuinely feel like I’m missing a part of my body when swimming without them even when going for a dip in the ocean during a beach day. They have been everywhere with me and they’re my most prized possession.
What does being a Cressi ambassador mean to you?
Being a Cressi ambassador has been an absolute honor. It’s enabled me to connect with divers around the world who have become lifelong friends and it’s helped me reach countless people who are interested in getting involved in marine conservation.
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