Looking for inspiration and positive vibes then this is the girl you need to know about.

“There is no planet B. It’s our duty to treat it right, inspire one another to make an impact”. Image and quote: Poeiti Nelaupe.

During trying times like this, it can sometimes be hard to find any form of positivity and energy. The one thing to remember is that we’re all in this together and we CAN and WILL get through this. If you’re still struggling to find inspiration, where you feel like there is none, then you need to see Poeiti Nelaupes Instagram. Poeiti is a lovely lady residing in Tahiti who does photography and freediving as a profession. She’s free-spirited, positive, and open-minded individual who lives a sustainable lifestyle. Even though this is an unprecedented time, she provides us with some of the most beautiful imagery, that encourages us to look forward to something. She is also an Eco-friendly enforcer and wants to encourage sustainability as much as possible. Sustainability is so important if we want to keep our planet alive and vibrant. Poeiti has some inspirational images that will show the positive effects of sustainability. Clearer waters, greener scenery, and often enough bright blue skies.

Here is an interview held with the lovely lady herself, in hopes to inspire you and to make you feel more positive and energetic.

BD: Shall we start with you telling us a bit about yourself, what it is you do, and what you’re passionate about?

P: My name is Poeiti Nelaupe, it’s a Tahitian first name «Poe means Pearl » and «Iti means small ». I’m 24 years old, I’m from Tahiti French Polynesia a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I’m passionate about Photography, Spearfishing, Trolling fishing, and Freediving.

BD: How did you start your photography brand?

P: It all started at 16 years old when I had the chance to meet and cruise with photographers, surfers. They shared with me their lifestyle, world and passion for the water. As the years went by, I realized that I spend the majority of my time underwater, it was my way to feel free. So my friends let me take pictures of them with their camera and then little by little, I bought myself a camera.. and started to learn.

BD: What made you passionate about diving?

P: I live surrounded by water, so it was natural for myself. But I think it's probably one of my fisherman friend who took me with him to learn spearfishing and how to get my food, he also wanted me to take pictures of him so I had to learn to go deep, work on my stress and my breathing. It’s so complicated but so beautiful to learn to be in harmony with the marine life. Session by session I was like, fascinated by the sea life, how much it's so soothing for me to be there and how life under the water is so incredible. Now, it’s become my second home and I like it.

BD: Do you think of yourself as a planet lover/sustainable?

P: Oh yes at 100%. I'm so grateful for the chance that I have to be surrounded by nature, to differentiate the vision that I have and to experience this crazy world that we live on! I try as hard as I can to show through my photography the simple vision that I have about reality and what we forget too easily. It’s an honour for me to show that yes our planet is soooo beautiful and that we are very lucky. Nature gives us so much more, every day and I think that progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything!! When I go fishing, exploring, I happen to see plastic in the sea every time, we try to pick them up but there are so many, it's so crazy and sad, but we have to do it, who else will? I think the first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist. We have to plug into it and join the movement for the future and the next generation. Photography is my way to express and showing why we have to fight for Mama Earth.

BD: What would your advice be for those who are starting to be sustainable? How would you encourage them and others down this path?

P: Being sustainability is important for many reasons including Environmental Quality, to have healthy communities, we need clean air, natural resources, and a non-toxic environment. So my advice for those who are starting to be sustainable should be to fuel your curiosity!! Watching documentaries, asking questions to scientific or personal and never stop learning! Bring your own water bottle/shopping bags. Learn to plants seeds, try growing your food is the best way: a task for those exploring this lifestyle: imagine your herbs, fruits, and vegetables growing in your back garden, image cleaner streets because we are no longer riddled with plastic flying around and ruining them, Imagine just a nicer view because the air is no longer polluted. Recycling is also essential to this lifestyle. Try as much as possible because it's very easy, try to stop using plastic and ZERO WASTE. I think these are very simple things and easy to set up in our routine. Step by step believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable and I promise you will like it.

BD: What makes you a positive person? And how do you keep that momentum?

P: What makes me a positive person? I think it's the transparency that there is something in my photos, videos, and is also shows what I do behind the scene. How did I keep that momentum?! I always like to go on an adventure and give myself challenges, when I'm not satisfied, I go back again or learn to do better the next time. I also enjoy being with people who love the ocean as much as I do. The support of my family, the collaboration that I do with photographers, my best friends help me a lot. Sharing is caring, I just need to keep focus and develop more that’s all.

BD: What are your feelings about climate change and do you feel like it’s improving?

P: I think that what's going on around us is completely normal as its the result of how we generate. It makes me sad of course, here in French Polynesia we are already observing climate change under the water in terms of what happens to our coral reefs which die every day. Like some fish by the warming water that can weaken our ecosystem here, a natural phenomenon has already been observed in Polynesia. It generally appears during hot seasons, warming of the water can weaken our Eco-system called «Anoxia» and cause a lack of oxygen in the marine environment. This is so crazy, right?

I think It’s been people’s movements that have always changed the world, this is what gives me hope. We are powerful no matter what! Every choice we make, every day, it counts. If we want to get there and save the planet we have to make conscious decisions based on how you’d like to see the world progress. If you see a problem in the way do your part, try to reduce them.

BD: Have you ever travelled? If so what’s your best experience during that time?

P: Yes, I had the chance to travel abroad and also to go explore our islands there are so many. The best experience during that time! I had so many good times like going to Amsterdam and riding the bikes everywhere and theres Italy the place that is full of love that it was hard not to relish it. But I think the best experience for me will always be the ones where I'm in the water, especially when I have to swim with sharks or even bigger animals like whales, it's always exciting to the eyes and a great feeling, I do not know how to explain it, but it’s the best feeling ever.

BD: You sound like a very adventurous person. Am I right in saying that?

P: Yay, going on adventures fuels my creativity. I like it, I need to do it as it makes me feel good.

BD: If I asked you to pick your top 5 favourite images on your Instagram which ones would they be? And why?

About as Tropical as It Gets. Image: Poeiti Nelaupe.

Just because it’s an old house with a lot of value, it’s also the image on our local coin and it’s the house of my dreams that will become soon a museum. I wish I could live in a place like this.

Imagine Earth Without Humans Image: Poeiti Nelaupe.

I have always been captivated for the waves without people inside it’s more a deep feeling! Then I started photography by observing and capturing so many waves! The texture, the movement of her beauty her force. It’s so powerful even more when you go swim under the waves.

If you can become at peace with yourself, there’s opportunity for peace in the world. Image: Poeiti Nelaupe.

Simply because there are all the elements that I love the most about nature! The mountains, the sea and the coconut trees. I have an addiction for coconut trees, I like playing a lot on for just watching, and admiring the view. My home is such a playground.

Blue lagoon of the sister island of Tahiti. Mo’orea where the green colours and landscape gonna attract your eyes. I love going there to play with stingrays and black tips sharks.

Maybe I'll choose this photo to express the passion I have for sharing my moments and adventures with other people especially my friends, taking pictures of them, just to take them with me to create things like this, is amazing. I also really like to escape in blue water. Simply because you have nothing left around you as if you were alone and small in such a large and vast place.

BD: These are incredible.
How do you keep positive during this lockdown? What’s your secret?

P: I was asking myself while trying to answer your questions. I did a month break learned to be alone and to do other things alone. I improved myself by doing Yoga, lots of workouts, drawing, painting, create some different stuff and learn how to be more healthy. I am grateful for this break time and to see the effort that I can do to try to change myself. Our lockdown is over so I’ll be back soon in the water I can’t wait.

BD: Finally, In your ideal world what would your dream outcome be for the future and for our planet?

P: maybe reduce the plastic learn to use more local product and teaching the young generation how to treat well our planet just to respect the others (Nature, animals).

If you’d like to see more of her images please take a look at her Instagram which is provided here: https://www.instagram.com/poe_nlpe/. I’m sure she’d appreciate the love and support but also look for yourselves as her images will make you think you’ve also been on holiday.

View of the Ocean.

Looking for inspiration and positive vibes then this is the girl you need to know about.