I was born and raised in San Diego, California. Went to college at San Diego State University where I obtained a degree in Biology with an emphasis in Zoology. During college I achieved my dream job as a dolphin trainer for the US Navy's Marine Mammal Program. In 2007, I became a PADI Dive Instructor and worked parttime for Sport Chalet teaching classes. In 2008, I packed up and moved to Hawaii to persue a career in the dive industry. While in Oahu I started painting again and I started enjoying my time freediving. Also while I was in Hawaii I acheived another goal of mine, I became a licensed 100 Ton boat captain. At the end of 2008 I packed up again and I was off on my adventure. The rest is still unwritten...
I was put on this earth to teach people to appreciate the ocean and the creatures within it. My mission is to use my adventures and my scuba instructor certification to bring awareness to divers and any one else I encounter in my lifetime. If I can inspire some one to get involved and seek awareness to the present issues that our oceans are facing then I've done my job. I would like to dedicate my work to Steve Irwin...he will forever be in my heart guiding me through my mission.
Along with posting stories of my adventures…I would like to update everyone who reads this with the current issues connected too ocean conservation. So please feel free to email questions, concerns, or comments…I would love to hear from you. Also if you feel like one of my updates has touched you and you want to know how to give more or do something…check out the links on this website.
Everyone’s birthday was in July so we celebrated at Nikole’s place…tons of fun and lots of laughs.
Celebrating the Fourth of July on the Pro Diver 2
To have the ultimate whale shark experience there is only one place in the world that can guarantee and deliver encounters and this amazing place is called Isla de Holbox. Holbox (pronounced “Hole-bosh”) is a sleepy Mexican island about seven miles long and one mile wide located in the Yucatan Peninsula. Holbox offers a laid-back, peaceful vibe with no high-rise hotels and no traffic, plus its allure of white sandy beaches makes it one of the newest tourist attractions in Mexico.
Swimming with the “Dominoes”, the name locals have given the whale sharks, is a fairly new event because the locals just discovered about eight years ago that the Dominoes where in waters off of Holbox. The season to see and swim with the whale sharks starts in mid-May and goes till September. The locals once depended on the income of fishing for seafood market trade but now they have realized that tourism to their island for the Dominoes is turning out to be a blessing. Why? Well whale sharks are a creature that us humans find to be mystical and fascinating, especially if you are a scuba diver. Divers will book trips to far-away lands to hopefully get a chance to see a whale shark in the wild, however more times come up empty handed. But that is not the case in Holbox where whale shark tour operators guarantee whale shark sightings and swimming, plus its 100% safe activity for all.
In Holbox the government has made it illegal to scuba dive with the whale sharks so this is a snorkel activity. The government also regulates the number of people swimming with a whale shark at a time so that the animal does not feel threaten or stress-out. And every lancha (boat) must have a trained guide, this guides actually takes a course on whale shark behavior and safety while swimming with these giants. The guides are trained to sex the whale sharks for research and record sightings of tagged sharks. Recordings go to www.whaleshark.org where scientist can track the migration of the sharks. Little is known about whale shark biology and scientist hope that the Dominoes continue to migrate to Holbox each year for scientific observation.
When you book a day with the whale sharks you start with a coffee reception where they show you an educational video made by local scientist. They off to the whale shark pier were you board your lancha for the day. It takes about one hour to get to the areas where the sharks are and along the way the guides usually find pods of dolphins. Once in the whale shark hot-spots one might see huge manta rays, golden rays, even turtles. They all feed on the plankton blooms that the whale shark is attracted too. To spot a whale shark you must look for two things either a huge dorsal fin that looks like its sailing on the water or a big mouth open taking in seawater. The sharks tend to stay on the surface to feed and only dive down if the plankton in the water is deeper or if it feels threatened. When the captain finds the shark he will position the boat to exit the divers towards the shark. Two swimmers and the guide get in at one time, and once your in you better be ready to kick. The whale sharks look slow from the surface, but once in the water these animals can move. Each group that goes in for a swim will swim next to the shark for about ten minutes then the boat will pick you up so that the next group has an opportunity. The boat requires anyone who gets in the water to wear a life-vest however if you bring a wetsuit you can go in with out it. Lots of swimmers want to bring their cameras in too but the best way to take your experience home with you is to book the local whale shark videographer. It was much easier to swim along with the whale shark without a camera and you get the fully experience without the distraction a camera can have. It truly is an amazing experience when you swim next to these giants.
If you would like more information about Isla de Holbox and the whale shark tour operators please visit www.holboxwhalesharktours.com. Please don’t be fooled by the operators out of Cancun, Holbox is the only way to go to get guaranteed sightings and the boat ride out is only one hour from Holbox unlike Cancun’s long boat rides.
