If you’re a hardcore adventurer, you’re going to enjoy this, and if you’re into water adventures, in particular, then you should definitely read along. This travel story is about an adventure traveler who was determined to go on a mission to try all action sports out there. Be it snowboarding, surfing, kitesurfing, diving, bungy jumping, you name it!

Chantae Reden started Chantae Was Here and dedicated it to everything related to travel, adventure, and action sports. So, if this kind of travel activities is your cup of tea (or energy drink in this case), then you might want to check out her blog.

Chantae’s travel bug was born in 2010 when she embarked on an epic backpacking adventure through Central America; she was a broke college student back then, but it all just made sense. After graduating with a degree of political science from the University of Southern California, Chantae had a few more backpacking trips, spent her weekends snowboarding, and moved to Australia for four years. And now, she’s living in Fiji––probably living the dream of many.

I took the chance to chat with Chantae about her passion for water adventures and action sports, living in Fiji, as well as her other ocean-themed website, The Salt Sirens.

1. What sparked your passion for adventure activities and action sports?

Growing up in Southern California, my family often went to the beach on the weekends. I’d love spending time swimming in the waves to a point where I’d close my eyes and imagine I was still there whenever I went to bed. I have never been particularly good at team sports—my hand-eye coordination is a bit askew. I gravitated towards solo sports like running, surfing, snowboarding, where if I messed up, it wouldn’t cost a team a point or anything like that.

Today, I love that you can use the earth’s energy to have fun in nature. A bit of gravity and some snow for snowboarding, waves for surfing, wind for kitesurfing, and open ocean for freediving.

2. What’s your all-time favorite activity?

Freediving, which is when you dive underwater on one breath, is the activity that has taught me the most about myself. I’ve struggled with body image through my teens and early 20s. Freediving is a sport that allowed me to appreciate my body as it is because it shows how efficient our bodies in doing simple acts like breathing. We breathe without thinking or appreciating how each passive inhale gives us life.

I love that it not only challenges me physically but also mentally. To be a safe freediver, you must have control over your mind and your body, relaxing at will. This is a large contrast from high-adrenaline sports where the more power you give, the better you’ll be—like kitesurfing, surfing, or snowboarding. Any sense of ego has to be left at the surface of the water.

3. Which diving destinations stole your breath away? Recommend your top 3.

There are so many incredible dive destinations in the world. Scuba diving with tens of sharks (six different species) in Beqa, Fiji was mesmerizing. I went diving without a cage and watched as the sharks cruised over our heads. Because the shark dive helps fund a marine sanctuary zone where fishing and other forms of recreation are banned, the coral reef is vibrant and there are thousands of reef fish swimming around.

I also love scuba diving around Nusa Penida, an island off Bali’s coastline. There, you can find gigantic manta rays gliding through the water. They’re so graceful and swim in a way that makes them seem almost alien or outer worldly.

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Also in Indonesia, I enjoy diving around the Gili Islands of Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. On my first dive ever, I told my scuba diving instructor that I’d be stoked if I saw just one sea turtle. We saw over twenty on that dive! If you love sea turtles, the Gili Islands are a turtle paradise!

4. Tell us about your most unforgettable water adventures.

Coming eye to eye with a humpback whale in Tonga is an experience I wish I could relive every day. My friend and I got in the water with a handful of humpback whales as they migrated through the deep trench. At one point, we were in the water with a baby humpback whale who was super curious about us—she splashed us with her tail. We could see in her mother’s eyes that the mother was apprehensive and eventually they swam away.

We also came across a boisterous juvenile whale. When I twirled in the water, the whale watched me and copied my twirl. My friend, the whale, and I all took turns twirling. It was super bizarre! Eventually, the whale swooshed her tail back and forth so much, we had to hop back into the boat to avoid being hit. It’s crazy because when you look into the eyes of a whale, you really connect and can see that a soul is in there.  

5. What would you still love to try or where would you still like to go and explore?

Can I visit you in Egypt? The Red Sea seems amazing! I’d also love to go on a grand expedition like a multi-month cycling trip through Southern Africa (Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique). A few years ago, I went to Zimbabwe and was told not to expect to see many animals. I saw hippos, giraffes, rhinos, and a herd of 400 elephants—not exaggerating. I love visiting destinations that have one reputation and finding that the opposite is true.

Really, I am happy to go anywhere this is any form of wildlife. Because of my job, I tend to take opportunities that come at me rather than seeking any trip or activity out specifically.

6. Tell us more about The Salt Sirens.

The Salt Sirens is a website for people who love the ocean. It’s a community of writers and readers who surf, kitesurf, scuba dive, kayak, or just love being at the beach. This type of media is typically dominated by men and if women are featured, they’re white, thin, and highly sexualized. How often do we see a professional male surfer posing with a surfboard with his cheeks out? The Salt Sirens is a space where all women can read and write about ocean sports and water adventures no matter their background, status, or physical appearance.

7. Why Fiji? And where would you live next?

My partner works as an oceanographer, studying the ocean and how it impacts people living on coastlines. When he was offered a job in Fiji, I begged him to take it. He loves his job fortunately and it’s been a great place for me to build up my ocean skills and grow The Salt Sirens. I spend weekdays at my desk but go surfing, freediving, and scuba diving on the weekends (when time and money allows). I have no idea where we’d go next, but I have my eyes on Australia or New Zealand.

8. Being in constant contact with nature definitely makes one more environmentally conscious. So, what kind of advice would you like to give others to travel more sustainably?

I am certainly not perfect when it comes to having an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. I think it is an instance of not letting perfection getting in the way of progress. The meat industry, transportation (especially the travel industry), and our obsession with single-use plastics has had major impacts on our oceans. In Nusa Penida, the manta ray region I mentioned above, you cannot comfortably swim during some months because the ocean is so saturated with plastic.

Instead of striving for perfection, I try to see where I can make the biggest changes without a large loss in quality of life. I don’t eat meat, I avoid buying items I don’t need, and I carry around reusable items for coffee, water, and food. The pandemic has also made me realize I need to prioritize slow and local travel rather than jumping on any long-haul flight that goes on sale.

I advise to make cuts where you can and try to avoid an “all or nothing” mentality. Instead of flight hopping around Europe, why not fly to one point and take public transport from one city to the next? Instead of ordering a burger, why not try the intriguing plant-based item on the menu instead? The experience can still happen, but with a smaller environmental impact.

How about you? Do you have any water adventures you’d like to tell me about? Drop a comment below and tell me all about your actions sports attempts and water adventures.

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