Instagram story viewer> @lauraajonees> Tagged

Laura Jones

@lauraajonees

2.1K

followers

1089

following

San Diego + Miami
@isnt.itcrazyhow

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

seeeyaaaaa septembaaa✌️🤸‍♀️🍃💫🩵

187

54

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. 🥹🌊

After months of planning, organising, problem solving, endless messages, meetings, lists, last minute changes and a whole lot of love, Laamafaru Festival 2026 actually happened.

It’s hard to explain what it felt like to finally stand there and watch everything we had been working towards come to life. Seeing so many people from across Laamu together in one place, learning, creating, connecting, celebrating and sharing the same love for our islands and ocean was incredibly special.

There were so many moments throughout the day where I just looked around and thought, we actually did this.

I’m so incredibly proud of the team behind Laamafaru. This festival took so many hands, so much hard work and so many people who were willing to step in wherever they were needed. I’m beyond grateful to every community, organisation, volunteer, partner and person who believed in what we were creating and helped us bring it to life.

Leading Laamafaru has been one of the biggest, craziest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It challenged me in so many ways, but seeing what we created together made every stressful moment, every late night and every bit of chaos completely worth it.

I think this one is going to stay with me for a very, very long time. 💙

Still processing it all, but for now…

WE FREAKING DID ITTTT!!! 😭💙🌊

94

11

Without question, these have been the best few months of my life🥹❤️ For the past six months, I’ve been surrounded by some of the most passionate, loving, and uplifting people I’ve ever met, all while living surrounded by some of the most beautiful natural scenes on Earth.

I have mixed feelings about this app. I love being able to share what I’m up to with family and friends, but I HATE how social media can make everything look perfect. Without question, these have been some of the best days of my life—but they haven’t been perfect. I’ve cried. I’ve had panic attacks. I’ve felt incredibly lonely and completely lost. But reflecting up these emotions, I realize those difficult moments made the joyful ones even more meaningful. I don’t think these would have been the best few months of my life without the hardships. Sometimes, the greatest part of our joy is the struggles prior.

Every time I leave home knowing I’ll be gone for an extended period, I’m filled with fear and “what ifs.” I’m scared of what I don’t know and of stepping into the unknown. And yet, I’ve now been away from home for more than nine months. During that time, I spent three months traveling through India, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines, followed by six months living and working here in the Maldives. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that stepping into the unknown and putting a little faith in myself is always better than looking back and wishing I had the courage to just take the first step.

Leaving this place has filled me with an overwhelming sense of grief. But in a strange way, I believe that grief is a blessing. To feel so deeply about closing a chapter of my life has to mean that what I experienced here mattered. Grief can feel daunting, but at its core, it’s simply an emotion that knocks on the door of memory — asking us to remember someone or something we love. And right now, I’m incredibly grateful to feel this much grief, because it means I have something special to miss.

370

54

Yes, I’ll have another bintang please 🐲

3

24

Women’s Power, Above and Underwater 💙

We are very proud to have so many women who have turned their passion for diving into a force for ocean conservation. Every day, they use their skills beneath the surface to study and protect our blue planet.

Today, we celebrate PADI Women’s Dive Day, and we hope to inspire more women to start discovering life below the surface. Being able to breathe underwater and spend time surrounded by the marine life you love is a gift like no other.

#PADIWomen @paditv

📸 @jemma_paradise

118

0

olhuveli and out 🌞

beaut days working for @maldivesunderwaterinitiative @maldivesmantaconservation @mantatrust … grateful for these dreamy scenes and the dreamier MUI team!! 🫶🏻

106

14

In the last couple years I’ve had a lot of amazing wildlife encounters, but this one may take the cake. Seeing an Ornate Eagle Ray — this close up is undoubtedly one of the best moments of my life. And to make it even more special I got to share this moment with people I love❤️

958

8

the seagrass provides 🌱🌱

an absolute blessing from the ocean with an ornate eagle ray visiting the island. so little is known about these creatures that sharing the water with one was truly special… and my god look at the shnoot on her !!

ps thank you to drone pilots @owenbornhorst and @harperaltschul … not all heroes wear capes 🫶🏻

6k

66

No longer a teenager — today I turned 20 in one of the most beautiful places on earth — Laamu Atoll, surrounded by people I love.

Just a few days ago, I also got to share the water with one of the rarest creatures on earth — the ornate eagle ray. The best early birthday present one could ask for.

As I reflect on this past year, I am honored to say I’m proud of myself. Not every day has been easy — some have been amazing, others have been tough — but through it all, I’m healthy, able-bodied, and still chasing my dreams ❤️

One of the biggest realizations I’ve had this year is about faith. I don’t tie my belief to any one religion — not Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or any label — but I believe in something greater. I’ve chosen to spend my life immersed in the natural world, and the more of its beauty I witness, the more impossible it feels not to believe in a higher power. To me, God is nature, and nature is God.

For a long time, I think I was scared to say it out loud. But now, I’m not. God is great.

353

90

📸All footage by @harperaltschul !!
Most special encounter in my life. Being so gloomy from all the recent evil developments the world has been stacking on us. And then, she arrives. Beholding the most beautiful eagle ray with its magnificent golden glimmer while being in the water with all of my fellow lovely friends at the MUI team! A reward, or blessing from Mother Nature herself to keep doing what we do.

Couldn’t have asked for anything more at when I needed it most, I needed to share this moment which was straight out of a dream.

ALSO HER SNOUT!! SO SHNOOT!! GORGEOUS!!

67

2

Words don’t really do justice to what it feels like to be in the water with an ornate eagle ray. That golden undertone, the black stripes cutting across its back—it’s surreal. One of those moments that doesn’t quite feel real, even while you’re in it.

They’re incredibly rare. While the internet throws around numbers, the truth is simple—very few people in the world have ever had an encounter like this. Not to mention, each individual ray carries its own unique spot pattern—like a fingerprint. And this one, from what I know, has never been sighted before. From the look of her body, she may even be pregnant.

I can’t say this was a childhood dream—I didn’t even know this species existed a few years ago. But the moment I learned about them, about how elusive they are… it became something I couldn’t stop thinking about.

Then suddenly—
@ahmedshahflyguy burst into the office yelling “ORNATE!”

I don’t think I’ve ever moved that fast. Unlocking the dive center, grabbing my camera, mask, fins—straight into the water.

I expected a fleeting moment. A quick pass, maybe a glimpse.
But she stayed.
For over an hour.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt more alive. But what made it truly special wasn’t just the encounter—it was sharing it with people who inspire me every day—and most importantly, who I’m lucky enough to call my friends ❤️

Additional drone footage @owenbornhorst

#ornateeagleray #ornate #sixsenseslaamu #maldives #unicornofthesea

9k

90

A sneak peak into the encounter I’ve been dreaming of…

I’ve been fortunate to spend the majority of the past year on an island where encounters like this one are possible. After countless failed attempts and fleeting sightings, the stars aligned yesterday.

For those who don’t recognize this pattern, this is the ornate eagle ray, one of the rarest rays if not animals in the entire world. Here in Laamu, these rays move like ghosts appearing once in a blue moon only to vanish a moment later. With every encounter, we unravel the mysteries of these ocean giants slowly uncovering why they visit us here.

Thank you ocean, thank you team, and thank you Ms. Ornate for gracing us with your presence!

Until next time…

#ornateeagleray #wildlifephotography #underwaterphotography #nikon #ocean

743

50