Sonja Hadler (Dive with german girl)

Occupation: Dive Instructor

Scuba Diving Since: 2015

Favorite Local Dive: Egypt

Interview with Sonja Hadler (Dive with german girl)

Why did you decide to take the giant stride into the oceans?
Even as a little girl, I felt connected to the sea. I spent my summer vacations with my grandparents in our little house in Spain. Here I learned to swim and snorkel in the sea. Even as a 4-year-old, I wanted to be a mermaid. A little later, when I began to see the world more realistically, I wanted to live and work by the sea one day. That was my dream. 
Finally, the time had come: I completed my Open Water course in 2015. From that day on, there was no stopping me: the sea cast its spell over me and one course after another followed. I have been a diving instructor with heart and soul since 2020.

How has diving changed your life?
Diving opened up a whole new world of adventure for me, epic encounters with marine life and sun-drenched destinations that few get to see in their day job. 
I have made new friends for life and become more open-minded and even more careful with nature and the earth's resources.

What kind of diving do you like to do?
My favorite place to dive is in the sea. I love reefs with all their flora and fauna and the life in them, whether big or small. The deep blue with drop-offs also impresses and fascinates me with its endless expanse. 
 

Photo: Heinz Toperzer

Tell us about one of the most amazing experiences you have had underwater?
A dance with a manta ray. Simply incredibly beautiful and touching: I saw how it floated and glided calmly through the sea and I began to sing in my regulator. It actually came to me. He circled me again and again with minimal fin strokes. He did loops and posed with and for my camera again and again. An incredible experience that I will never forget.

Where are some of your favorite places underwater?
There are so many incredible places in the sea. That's why I find it difficult to choose. But the most impressive for me is the Red Sea with its incredible diversity.  

What is your advice to someone considering diving?
Beware of the risk of addiction! Try it out, you're guaranteed not to regret it. Once it grabs you, it won't let you go.

What would you tell people about the oceans?
Seas and oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and, in contrast to the land portion, are the least explored. The seas and oceans are a cornerstone of all life on our planet. They play an important role in the Earth's heat balance and climate system, absorb CO2 and supply oxygen, and provide us with food, energy and raw materials. It is therefore important to protect our oceans and protect them from harm. That is why, in addition to my work teaching people to dive, I have also made it my mission to sensitize them to a careful approach to nature. The sea still holds incredible secrets for us. That is why we must continue to explore and protect it. The sea and the oceans can do so much: they give us humans strength and energy.

Photo: Heinz Toperzer

What does diving mean to you?
I have turned my hobby into my profession and I can't imagine doing anything else.
For me, there is nothing that makes me happier than being underwater.
 

What's your favorite thing in your dive bag?
Clearly, my Hydros Pro is my favorite piece in my dive bag.

Follow Sonja on Social Media:

Instagram: @divewithgermangirl

Facebook: Dive with Sonja