My passion for the underwater world began early — I started snorkeling at age six and was captivated by watching pike glide through the seagrass of Austrian lakes. That fascination grew into a love for the ocean, which truly took shape during a discovery dive at 19. Although I couldn’t afford my Open Water certification until I was 25, that milestone marked the beginning of diving as my main hobby.

At 30, after moving to Asia, diving became an all-encompassing part of my life. Living in Hong Kong allowed me to dive regularly, both locally and across Asia, while expanding my experiences through trips to diverse destinations. By 37, I made the pivotal decision to leave my traditional career and dedicate myself fully to underwater photography and instruction. In my first year, 2015, I was already leading trips as a new instructor, and by 2016 I founded Insider Divers — turning my lifelong passion into a professional path.

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My profession has given me countless unforgettable moments, but the ones that stand out most are either exceptionally rare, incredibly thrilling, or deeply solitary. For example, encountering an albino baby humpback whale in Tonga was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, while snorkeling alongside a large American saltwater crocodile in Mexico was pure adrenaline. Equally powerful are the quiet times when it’s just me and nature, immersed in the underwater world.

That said, capturing these moments through photography is essential to me. If I don’t manage to get a good shot, it can take away from the experience — so having the opportunity to document what I see is just as important as living it.

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For me, the most rewarding part of my work is crafting the perfect experience for a group and then seeing the guests’ excitement afterwards. I’ve always had a strong sense of how to design adventures — even in my twenties, when I led skiing trips and was the one among friends to initiate and organize activities. Combining that natural drive with my number one passion, scuba diving, became the foundation for Insider Divers.

Even today, I still get goosebumps when everything comes together into an extraordinary moment for my guests. Recently, we had ten Mola Mola on a single dive in the Galápagos, and on another trip in the Philippines we encountered whale sharks at an unexpected location. Those kinds of experiences remind me why I love what I do — creating adventures that leave people truly inspired.

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For me, the goal of every expedition is flawless execution — where everything runs seamlessly, requires no effort from my guests, and leaves them with some of the most memorable nature experiences of their lives. Seeing a group return happy, energized, and inspired at the end of a trip is the ultimate reward. That sense of shared excitement is what drives me to keep raising the bar and creating experiences that truly stand out.