ADEX Ocean Hero Hidy Yu

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It’s time to hear from our Ocean Hero of the Month – Hidy Yu! Model, actress, diver, ocean conservationist… how does she do it?

Hidy is part of our upcoming #ADEXPixelExpo – 8 Monthly Global Webinar Series. This September, we focus on Dive Safety and Education. Read on to find out more!

 

Actress and model has been diving for 13 years, giving her a different view of the world. Image from @hidyyu on Instagram

About Hidy Yu

Hidy, a model, actress, and veteran diver of 13 years, has always challenged her limits in the water. Being an ADEX Ambassador for Marine Conservation, she is now an advocate for cleaner waters and ridding the ocean of debris that poses dangers to divers and sea creatures alike. 

With her passion for the ocean, Hidy was the 2011 Miss Scuba International Ambassador in Hong Kong. She is a dive instructor qualified by NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) and also the Naui Worldwide Ambassador to promote ocean conservation.

How she started 

When Hidy started diving at 18, she enjoyed the freedom and tranquility while diving. The feeling of swimming freely in the water, the mysterious beauty of the seabed, and the friendly marine life all fascinate her. As a sportsperson who enjoys action-packed sports including trail running and boxing, diving has opened the world for her to explore. 

Modeling underwater for magazines and TV shows became a career highlight because of her diving skills, and she was invited to many different parts of the world for the opportunity.

Hidy dancing with sharks in Cuba. Photo: Michael Aw

Hidy remembers one adventure above all – dancing with sharks. In 2018, Hidy spent six days swimming among 20 tiger sharks in Jardines de la Reina in Cuba. As a renowned actress and model, Hidy was invited by Australian magazine Ocean Geographic to star in a video “Facing Grace”, promoting shark conservation. 

You may think sharks are the most bloodthirsty and terrifying ocean killers for many people, but after real contact with them, Hidy has another experience. She was not afraid but rather felt a connection with them as she engaged and reached out to the sharks. Hidy is set out to clear the public misunderstanding around sharks and spread the awareness of protecting these marine creatures.  

Her conservation efforts

Image from @hidyyu on Instagram

Throughout her diving experience, Hidy has always prioritized ocean conservation. She has swum in the waters of more than 20 countries around the world but has spent the most time in Hong Kong waters. Her extensive diving experience has allowed her to witness the deterioration of the marine environment worldwide.

In particular, diving in Hong Kong opened her eyes to the severe marine pollution in the city, where several marine creatures, such as the sea turtles, have been severely affected. She has made great efforts to protect the ocean and believes time can transform the harsh environment into a better one. 

Inspired by 66-year-old Hong Kong diver Harry Chan Ting-ming’s efforts against the oceans’ silent killers – ghost nets, or abandoned fishing gear, Hidy has joined him in his quest against marine pollution. She quoted, “When I started diving 13 years ago, it was so beautiful underwater. But last year when I dived in the Maldives and Australia, I found dead coral reefs everywhere.”

Hidy with Harry Chan and other ocean heroes to remove ghost nets in the ocean. Image from South China Morning Post

The task of removing these underwater litter and cleaning up the ocean is not for the ordinary diver, where extensive training and experience are needed. Despite the choppy sea caused by heavy downpour, low visibility, and the risks of ghost nets themselves, Hidy has constantly braved the dangerous conditions, alongside other ocean heroes, to take on ghost nets and raise awareness.

Starting from her hometown, Hidy runs a diving base called Bling Bling Ocean in Stanley. Regular beach clean-ups and diving with volunteers are frequently organised to pick up underwater trash such as cast-off fishing nets, or ghost nets, that endanger marine life and divers. 

Seeing coral bleaching and the frequent extinction of marine life, she organized marine conservation groups, held conservation lectures, and recently launched the “DEVE” marine platform during the pandemic, a full-scale online diving platform with the aims of passing marine knowledge and conservation information to everyone’s lives. She hopes that while fighting the pandemic, everyone will not forget to protect the environment that belongs to everyone.

Hidy also served as a mermaid ambassador and speaker at the 2016 and 2017 Singapore (ADEX) and Beijing (ADEX) Asian Diving Shows. She has been participating in a variety of diving promotion activities to let more people know and fall in love with the ocean.

Hear more from Hidy Yu!

Up for a new action-packed challenge to explore and protect the ocean? Join Hidy as she shares about Ocean Matters:

#APE 8TH MONTHLY VIRTUAL EVENT 2021 SCHEDULE – SEPTEMBER SERIES

Organised by the digital platform for ADEX Asia Dive Expo, ADEX Pixel Expo, #APE 8th Monthly Virtual Event 2021 celebrates the diversity of the ocean and its diving landscape, with a series of events happening on the 8th of each month, with an aim to bring trending dialogue and deep-rooted tales on the pulse of scuba diving, with inspirational guests and insightful stories!

This September Edition focuses on Dive Safety and Education. Click here to find out more about upcoming events and schedule!