Tales of an Adventurer: Kaila Yu

April 4, 2025

Coconut Smuggler celebrates saltwater hedonists all over the world who are committed to exploring and protecting the place they love so much.

We sit down with Kaila Yu - a travel and lifestyle writer and on-camera correspondent based in Los Angeles, whose love for the ocean runs deep.

Meet Kaila Yu

With a passion for freediving, scuba diving, and all things underwater, Kaila’s unique perspective shapes her work and her life. She’s contributed her sharp insights to prestigious outlets like The New York Times, Rolling Stone, New York Magazine, Insider, Glamour, and VICE, among others.

But there’s more to Kaila than just her writing. Once the lead singer of an all-girl rock band known as Nylon Pink, she spent her younger years touring the world, collecting passport stamps and unforgettable experiences along the way.

Now, Kaila is preparing to release her highly anticipated memoir, Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty, set to publish in August 2025. Available for preorder now, her book promises to be a candid and thought-provoking exploration of identity, culture, and self-discovery.

Kaila sits down with us and shares how her commitment to live wild and stay natural has shaped her into who she is today.

What is your favorite saltwater adventure?

Getting mermaid certified with PADI. Not only were we at my favorite place in the world, The Four Seasons Bora Bora, but I also met a group of friends with whom I have such a lasting and deep connection. Also, nothing beats jumping into Bora Bora’s clear, 50 shades of blue water anytime you want from your overwater bungalow.

Is there a memorable moment from being in the ocean?

It was in Rangiroa, French Polynesia, where I met the friendly wild dolphins. The dolphins love interacting with the scuba divers, and they keep swimming up to you, basically asking for pets—brushing by your hands and body. We’re taught never to touch wildlife while scuba diving, so all the divers were too scared to touch the dolphins, although our divemaster gave a baby dolphin friendly rubs. Another time was when I was staying at The Brando in Tetiaroa. We swam in the water with a baby humpback whale and her mother, which was magical. However, I'm in bliss whenever I’m underwater in French Polynesia.

What is your ocean spirit animal?

The hammerhead! They are just so weird-looking. They are unreal. They are so elusive, which makes them all the more fascinating.

If you were stranded on a remote island, what are the three things you'd want with you?

My kitties, a rice cooker (haha), and a satellite phone haha. But seriously, a journal to document my time there, the book Sermon on the Mount to keep me positive, and a knife.

What does “live wild and stay natural” mean to you?

That means living life to the fullest without worrying about society's expectations and limitations. It means having the freedom to live out the life of your wildest dreams. Staying natural for me is anytime I’m fully immersed underwater.

Do you have any hair tips or tricks for fellow saltwater hedonists?

I just have my signature hairstyle, which is braided pigtails with a rubber hair tie and treated with Coconut Smugglers' salt shield. I’ll also wear a scuba do-rag if I’m not filming content since it's the best way to keep my hair out of my mask. But sometimes, looking cute trumps functionality!

Follow Kaila's adventures around the world:

Back to blog