Our Mission: Connecting People with the Ocean

The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet, sustaining all life on Earth. Protecting and conserving it is not just important—it’s essential for our future and for the survival of the incredible animals that call it home.

At Diving in Paradise, our purpose is to showcase the ocean’s beauty and tranquility through immersive retreats and courses. We provide our students and guests with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to foster a deeper connection with the marine world.

Freediving: A Journey Within

Freediving is more than just a sport—it’s a path to self-discovery, mindfulness, and connection with nature. It challenges you to explore your limits, shift your mindset, and improve your fitness, all while cultivating inner peace, breath control, and relaxation. Our expert instructors guide you through beginner to master-level courses, helping you unlock your full potential underwater.

Wildlife Belongs in the Wild

We believe animals thrive in their natural habitats, where they are free to display their true behaviors. We do not support captivity. Instead, we aim to show our guests that the most powerful wildlife encounters happen in the wild, where these creatures belong. By connecting people with marine life in their natural environment, we hope to contribute to the end of captive animal facilities and inspire a greater respect for the ocean and its inhabitants.

Taylor McKeown founded Diving in Paradise in 2021, just a year before retiring from professional swimming. As a former Australian Swimming Team member (2010–2022), she earned medals at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Almost by fate, Taylor was introduced to freediving in 2017 when her swimming coach brought in a freediver to teach breath-hold techniques. This sparked a passion that she pursued alongside her rigorous training schedule, completing freediving courses whenever time allowed. In 2021, she became a certified freediving instructor, officially blending her love for the water with her expertise in breath control and underwater exploration.

Beyond swimming, Taylor has been snorkel guiding since 2017, whale swim guiding since 2018, coaching since 2018, and spearfishing since 2021. With her extensive experience and deep understanding of the ocean, you can feel confident and safe with her as your guide or instructor.

Taylor is also a qualified Animal Ecologist, passionate about making Diving in Paradise expeditions, retreats, and courses not only thrilling but also deeply educational about marine wildlife.

Diving in Paradise is proud to be partnered with PADI, a globally dominating scuba training company who have now expanded into the freediving world and have the best resources available for students via their eLearning. PADI have great progression for students with professional guidance at every step through the freediver courses. PADI are advocates for ocean conservation and through their AWARE Foundation, they are paving the way for fighting climate change, marine habitat loss and vulnerable species protection.