Diving gives young Hongkonger the confidence to follow her dream of becoming a marine conservationist
- Kara Ngai, 19, had always wanted to be an animal carer but her parents were opposed to it
- Having qualified as a rescue diver, she is now pursuing a diploma in tourism, and hopes to combine her passion with a career
Kara Ngai Li-yung, a 19-year-old diver emerges from the sea after collecting bags of plastic foam and beer bottles in the water. “People throw a lot of trash into the sea, there’s plastic everywhere in there,” she says.
The underwater clean-up efforts by the volunteer show her love for marine life and aspiration to be a marine conservationist in Hong Kong.
Ngai lived in Yuen Long in her childhood, and she has taken care of different animals such as parrots and fish. “Because our house is near a hill, I used to come across wild animals such as snakes in our kitchen. I felt curious more than scared when I saw them, so I kind of developed an interest in animals,” she recalls.
I felt really deflated, as my parents didn’t support my dream
However, her parents were opposed to her being an animal carer and wanted her to get a university degree so that she could have a proper office job. “I remember my mother saying: ‘Are you out of your mind? There is no way you can be an animal carer in Hong Kong.’ I felt really deflated, as my parents didn’t support my dream,” she says.