All life on Earth is supported by the ocean. Without it, nothing can exist. It’s vital to protect and conserve it now, for our future and for the survival of the animals who call the ocean home. Our purpose is to showcase the ocean and allow our guests and students to fall in love with its mystery and beauty. Our goal is for everyone who dives with us to have an unforgettable animal encounter and see the life below in all its glory. At Diving in Paradise, we believe that animals thrive in the wild and are free to display their natural behaviours. We do not agree with keeping animals in captivity and strive to show our guests and students that you can experience these animals in the wild, where they belong. Our mission is to contribute to the demise of captive animal facilities and connect people back with animals in their origin. While our freediving courses focus on relaxation, breath hold, equalisation and dive technique, our qualified animal ecologist will focus the course on animal behaviour, teaching students how to act in the water to have the best animal encounters with specific species. When our guests and students depart our tours or courses, they will be leaving with an enriched and wealthy knowledge of oceanic life and preservation. Students embarking on a course will learn from world leaders in their field, who will pass on their expertise and give you the best chance at succeeding in wherever our courses take you.

Raised as an adventurous young girl who’s family holidays orientated around camping, boating, snorkelling and fishing, Taylor McKeown was introduced to water from birth. She loved splashing around so much that her parents enrolled her in a swimming club, and by age 15 Taylor was an Australian champion in her age group. By 18, Taylor qualified for her first Commonwealth Games and went on to secure a gold medal in the 200m breaststroke. This historically special race pathed the way for Taylor to continue making Australian teams throughout the years. In 2016, Taylor competed in the Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games where she claimed a 12th, 5th and Silver across her events. Taylor has since represented Australia at 2 Commonwealth Games, 3 World Championships and 1 Olympics.

During her post-Olympic holiday in 2016, Taylor travelled to Tonga to swim with the humpback whales. Not only did the humpback encounters create an addiction for going in the ocean, but she discovered the magic of freediving. Taylor was stuck on the surface while below her, fish-like humans effortlessly dove through sea caves, under whales and in some cases, so deep they would become swallowed by ocean. This was the moment that captivated Taylor and sparked her interest in freediving. Upon return to Tonga in 2018, after some freediving practice, Taylor was able to do everything she saw the others doing on her last visit. The freedom and peace of diving with sea life on one breath was like nothing she had ever felt before, and after one supremely magical encounter with a playful juvenile humpback whale, Taylor knew freediving was the way to connect humans back to the ocean.
Taylor’s extraordinary hard work, dedication, sacrifice, drive for success, mental and physical strength, positivity and motivation are all attributes she has gained from over a decade of competitive swimming. These are the traits you want in a Freedive instructor which Taylor brings with plenty, to Diving in Paradise.
Taylor’s passion for freediving strengthened after her father passed away from terminal brain cancer in 2020 after a 2 year battle. Freediving became a release from the pressure, stress, sadness, grief and depression which she dealt with during the cancer battle and after her father had passed. Taylor describes the feeling of lying on the ocean floor with sea life swimming around her as peaceful, silent and mesmerising. Something regular life sometimes just cannot provide. For this reason, Taylor is extraordinarily passionate about sharing freediving with others and helping them discover the underwater world of peace.

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.