Rescue Diver, Artist, Environmentalist, Sea Life Enthusiast and Protector of Oceans, Animals, and the Pursuit of Curiosity and Adventure
1. Tell us your name, where you were born, and your first memory you have from where you began!
Asha Raye, Spokane, Washington at Sacred Heart Hospital. One of my earliest memories was learning how to swim and embracing the ocean at a very young age. It always felt like a piece of me, a place I belonged I guess. My parents would call me a mermaid and fish as a kid, I couldn’t get enough and that hasn’t changed.
2. What were the overlaying cultural themes in your family? How did that align or differ to the communities you were surrounded by?
My family is definitely a bit of everything but I would say Spanish and Norwegian are the two most predominate heritages. As a kid my older brother and I were given a lot of freedom to nurture our creative minds. Music, art and imagination were big parts of our household. As kids my brother and I would dress up and put on music shows for our parents. Cassandra and Alice Cooper (Wayne’s World) were one of our favorites. Anything we wanted to do or try our parents encouraged us to go after with support and patience. It really helped us and we become very eclectic people. As a child you aren’t sure what you’ll love until you try. It was pretty cool to get the opportunity to experience so many different thing. My parents always taught us to respect not only the environment we see, but also the environment we can’t see underwater. They would bring kids in that ran away or needed to get out of a bad environment. They really showed a lot of love. We moved a lot as a kid and I definitely saw places where people did not have those same loving values. Racism, abuse, hatred were some of the many things my poor parents had to explain to me as a child because I just didn’t understand that type of behavior and I never will.
3. What did you like least about where you grew up? What did you like most?
I grew up in several different states, towns, houses and went to a plethora of different schools. It was hard in a sense because as a child you really aren’t making lasting relationships with other kids. This was the days long before kids had cell phones, internet or social media so you really didn’t have much. Phone calls via landlines but eventually you grow apart. I always watched kids with their best friends growing up and it did make me a little sad to not have that. Thankfully I had my older brother, I was shy growing up and he always helped me make new friends. We have always been super close so it helped having him around. On the plus side of moving so often I got to see so many new places and faces. It really opens your eyes at a young age to how big and diverse the world is. I feel really lucky to have experienced that at a developing age, it is a huge part of why I am the person I am today. It has been a crazy experience over the years too see how many people have found me from the past, friends I had not spoken to in decades. Reconnecting and seeing where they are now is really awesome. It is a life of travel that led me to so many ideas and brought so many amazing people into my life. You never know what an adventure life can take you on until you let it.
4. What was the first big idea you ever had? Did it come to fruition in some sense?
The first big idea I had was to run a farm age 12. We moved to a house more in the country and there were farms everywhere. I literally went and knocked on peoples doors asking if I could ride their horses in exchange I would work on their farm for free. It actually worked and soon I was breaking horses and working on a ranch. Shortly after I brought home Medicine Hat Mandy, a beautiful year and a half old paint filly. She was just a baby and her owners needed food but hated to part with her. I boarded four other horses to pay for her food and expenses and there was my ranch. It was a really cool part of my life and taught me that I really could do anything.
At twelve years old I was basically running a ranch and training unbroke horses. Mandy and I had an ultimate trust, I rode her before she was ever broke bareback and she is the one horse I broke that never bucked or kicked. It was a really magical experience. I also had the privilege of breaking a six year old wild Azteca Charra, she was definitely a tougher break than Mandy. I don’t think I’ve ever ridden a more spirited horse (or been bucked off so many times). I never used whips or spurs with any of the horses, it was all about teaching via hand signals and trust.
One of the coolest moments on the farm was birthing Charra’s filly Chloe. It happened so early, she was delivered before the vet even arrived. She was birthing Chloe threw the fence into another pasture where Clyde a stud resided. It’s just my dad and I at four am and no vet yet, we have no choice but for my dad to get Clyde (the male horse) out of the pasture because baby is already halfway out. So here I am at twelve years old delivering a horse for the first time threw a fence with no idea what to do other than deliver this filly safely. I gently grabbed her two feet already out and with a tug out she came, a happy healthy little Filly. It was a pretty magical experience and one I will never forget.
I got to see that little Chloe ride rodeo years later when I came back to town for a visit. There is definitely a sense of pride you feel from helping birth an animal so fragile and then watching it turn into this beautiful strong creature.
5. Who influenced your taste in expression as a child? How so?
My uncle Kim Momb, I still have the copy of National Geographic that did an article on him. He was the first person to climb Mt. Everest via the East (Kangshung face) and actually was more of a skier than mountain climber. He would never summit without his whole team, so it took him several tries but he never gave up. They had no sherpas or help, it was the first time it had been done. My uncle was the first to free climb via handpicks an almost mile long vertical glacial wall to surface that face and without a safety rope of any kind. They had to create pulley systems to get any food or supplies with them so travel was light. Before the final accent they realized they had an American flag but not a Chinese flag. Before Kim and his team summited to the peak they cut parts out of a climbing suit and Dan Reid fashioned a Chinese flag for the top to represent both countries. Kim loved to explore, he loved life and more important, he loved helping those in need over his own. I will never forget hearing the story when he almost reached the summit but instead helped down a world renowned climber who was suffering pulemanry adema. For that story you will have to look him up.
6. What was the first full album you purchased/found and couldn’t get enough of? What did it make you feel?
I honestly couldn’t tell you. The first song I remember as a kid was when my dad putting me to sleep to Blue Oyster Cult “Don’t Fear the Reaper” which he followed by the whole Pink Floyd The Wall album. My dad always played great music when I was awake so it was like he was sitting there next to me listening. I love how close music made my dad and I, it’s a special bond.
7. What hobbies, sports, events, arts, were you drawn to before the age of 10? Do you feel like you’re still interacting with these same genres in your current time in life? Do you miss any of them?
Scuba diving, free diving, anything water related honestly, piano and singing, photography, horseback riding, motorcycles, anything artistic. I loved to sing as and play piano, music has always been a fun passion. Scuba and ocean life is still such an important part of my life. It has changed me as a person and been a huge part of so many of the decisions I have made. It really shaped who I am in a big way. I worked in live event photography but have since left the industry for no other reason than I love photographing sea life and showing people something they haven’t seen before. The ocean is so beautiful and so many people fear the “monsters” I like showing them they aren’t “monsters” at all, maybe just misunderstood. Under the sea is more like Fern Gulley but a lot of people think it’s a little more like Jurassic Park uncaged. Riding horses is the one thing I really miss and would love to get back into. Ranching was a huge passion of mine and still is.
8. Who was your first best friend? What is your most vivid memory of your friendship?
Honestly my brother was my first best friend. We moved a lot, my dad drove truck and was gone and my mom worked and went to college. They did their best to give my brother and I everything they didn’t have. My brother helped raised me and really became the person I trusted most at a young age. To this day I don’t know what I would do without him, he’s always been a hero to me. My most vivid memory would be us as little kids riding on my mom’s little 50 Harley. We rode it around the neighborhood in Idaho, it was so loud and the neighbors hated it.
'Naturally my brother and I loved it.'
9. Where do you go to find your peace?
Underwater is my favorite place for real soul food. Something about the absence of sound other than the sea life around you is so soothing. I really feel a different level of peace in the ocean. I can’t explain it, it’s just something you feel.
10. What is a lifelong goal you can’t wait to start? What is it about it that brings you to life?
I really want to be part of a scuba cleanup team and animal rescue team. It has always been a huge passion of mine, something I love and want to protect. I would love to be the person who cuts a turtle out of fishing line or helps get a fish hook out of an appreciative sharks mouth. I would love to work with 4ocean, their company has always inspired me.
11. Where do you wish to travel to that you have never been? Why?
The Maldives, Fiji or Tonga. I have always wanted to dive in these locations, so abundant with sea life and sharks especially. But staying in the over water hut with the glass floor is definitely a must, nothing sounds more magical than sleeping with a constant window to the world below.
12. How do you connect best with other people?
Mutual interests and a passion/lust for life! It’s actually not hard to connect with most people if you stop and listen.
13. Favorite song of the moment?
There are way to many to list, different songs definitely match different moods. One artist I really enjoy in all moods is JBOOG but I could never pick a favorite song or artist.
14. What are you most proud of at this exact moment in time?
How far I have come! It has been a long journey with good times and bad times but the one thing I have never done is give up. I have tried a lot of things and some of them have not been what I wanted them to be but at least I showed up and tried. It’s pretty cool to look back and think my photos are in magazines, I have had writings published, I have cleaned up oceans and saved animal lives. I have tried to make a name for myself but I realized it’s not your name but what you have done. I am so proud of myself for everything I have accomplished in life with no lack of; sweat, blood, flesh and tears.
15. What is the thing you are most shy about? What is the worst that could happen if you did it?
I would have to say playing music. I love to sing and play piano but the second someone is looking directly at me I get nervous and shy. Modeling actually really helped me break out of my shell a lot, I was never big into being the center of attention. I actually started playing piano again, I still get shy when I’m playing for people but it’s all a learning curve.
16. What are the qualities that you value most in a friend today?
Kindness, humor, honesty, definitely fellow ocean lovers and my biggest is a lust for adventure.
17. How do you find your calm in tumultuous times?
Diving, swimming, exercise, reading, basically anything I can do to calm my mind. Sometimes you just need to free dive twenty feet down to scream to some fishes and then you’re savvy. Or maybe by the time you get down there it’s so beautiful and you’re so at peace and mesmerized by whats around you that nothing else matters. Undersea with your eyes closed or free floating in the waves is the perfect meditation to me.
18. What is your current greatest fear?
Missing out, not following my dreams and losing time. I’m one of those people that never wants to die, I want to live forever just so I can do and see everything! I want to be the person that lays on my death bed with a list after my bucket list because I lived my life to it’s fullest potential.
19. What is your current greatest strength?
Being able to role with the punches and finding the best in any situation. I really feel like moving a lot helped me adapt to different environments and just enjoy the experience. Sometimes it is not what you planned but that’s just part of the fun of it.
20. What brings you the most joy?
My passions, those I call family or friends (animals included), sunshine, laughter and the salty sea. I could never put into words how much the salty blue means to me.
21. How does your current line of work support your core values?
It isn’t exactly my current line of work but scuba diving has really given me a tool to show people how beautiful the ocean is and why we should protect it. It’s not full of “monsters” or “killer sharks” but rather a different culture that is vastly misunderstood and taken for granted. It’s been incredible to watch the positive change in people’s mentality over the years. I love showing people the beauty of the sea and encouraging them to scuba dive or to just put your toes into the salty waters, it’s pretty magical after all.
22. What advice would you give your 10 year old self? What advice would your 10 year old self give you?
I would have told my ten year old self to get into the scuba scene sooner. I was certified at such a young age but didn’t progress with my skills until later in life. Adult me would tell my ten year old self to relax and chill. I did so much as a kid but some of those special moments I wished I would have lived in and enjoyed a little longer. 23. What projects are you working on now that you are most excited about? Why are they so valuable to you ?
Currently I’m working on trying to give back to the environment and community in different ways. Donating to ocean and animal benefit charities via selling art, doing ocean cleanups on trips and trying to give back to local communities. Ryan Campbell (my best friend and better half) has actually been a big inspiration for me in this area. I have watched him first hand help animal conservationists thrive via his support. It’s really inspirational to have someone like that around you, it makes you want to try harder as you watch someone help a team succeed in saving lives. I’m so grateful to him for unknowingly teaching me ways I can help save what I love. You never know how much an amazing person can impact your life.
24. Who would you have coffee with dead or alive? Why?
Hunter Thompson, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and my uncle Kim Momb. All of their looks on life have brought me so much inspiration. Everything they did, pioneers of generations. A genius political activist, the grandfather of recreational scuba diving and (the creator of AquaLung) and family legend. Sounds like the best coffee date to me!
25. Who do you find most inspiring at this current time in your life?
A lot of people honestly. Anyone achieving a dream or goal and striving forward I find inspiring. It’s so uplifting and motivating to watch others grow around you. Project HIU has been very inspirational for me, in you haven’t looked up Madison Stewart her work is incredible. I am so inspired by her compassion for a community and drive to inspire change in the shark fishing world instead of instilling hatred towards shark fishermen. She really is an inspirational force I love watching work.
26. Do you have a morning or night routine? If so, why are they important to you?
I try to workout in the morning, water my plants and fit in a piano session. At night it’s a Spanish lesson, a stretch and the piano I may have not played in the morning. I try hard to do it every day but let’s be honest we are human and some days I’m just not feeling it, minus the Spanish, I never cheat on learning a new language. It’s hard to maintain but I try. I’m also a stickler for skincare so that is a huge morning and night routine.
27. How do you best honor yourself?
Doing what I love and trusting I’m myself. I try to put every idea I have into fruition, if I don’t I feel like I will never know what could have been. But I honor yourself by trying, and maybe I fail but I pick myself up and try again.
28. What is the craziest thing you want to do?
I want to cage less dive with massive great white sharks. I have always been fascinated by sharks and great white especially. I think they are a very misunderstood creature and a lot more gentle than we think. Having said that cage-less diving with them is still intimidating
and I guess a little crazy,
exactly why I plan to do it.
29. What is your favorite meal to cook when you need something fast, and when you are ready to invest in the kitchen?
When I need something fast it’s either a green juice or a squeeze pack of fruits and vegetables. I love cooking healthy tasty meals for other people, that’s when I actually put in the time and work. Spicy food is definitely one of my favorites to cook.
30. What is your favorite question to ask others?
What makes you tick? I want to hear what your dreams and passions are, who you really are inside. It’s a fun way to learn some really interesting things about people. Who knows, maybe you even share some of the same passions and can inspire each other.
31. What are your favorite travel tips?
Read up on where you are going before you travel. Find out a bit about the culture and people, even a little goes a long way. Try to speak their language, even if it doesn’t sound the best at least you’re trying. If you are fortunate to speak English (an almost universal language) that doesn’t mean you should. You’re in their home so be respectful. One of my biggest tips though is get to know some of the locals. They will show you the best places, tell you what is and isn’t bueno in their culture and more than likely become you’re lifelong friends! Lastly you can’t do it all in one trip so don’t try, just remember you can go back. Relax, chill and go with the flow.
31. And of course, what is your go-to travel snack?
Is tequila considered a travel snack? ***editors note: yes. Asha currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. She can be found on her website & on social @asharaye
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