Shark and Marine Conservationists. Oahu, Hawaii

Affectionately called “Mr. and Mrs. Sharks,” this dynamic duo married in April 2019. Ocean (yes, that is her real name) was born and raised in Hawaii. She has surfed and dived practically her entire life and has shared the water with many sharks. She is a marine biologist, shark and marine conservationist, professional freediver, professional scuba instructor, surfer, swimmer, yogi, and professional model. She earned her associate’s degree in behavioral sciences and psychology, bachelor’s degree in marine biology, and master’s degree in ethology, the study of animal behavior. Her research is focused on shark behavior, body language, social hierarchy, and how they react and interact with their environment. Her current research seeks to measure if their behavior is significantly affected by environmental specifics, including weather and the presence of other animal species and what the human implications are of spending time in proximity to sharks in and out of known aggregation sites. Ocean recently published her first book, What You Should Know about Sharks: Shark Language, Social Behavior, Human Interactions, and Life Saving Information (Juan contributed photographs). Juan was born in Mexico but his family moved to the North Shore of Oahu when he was a baby. He completed his degree in fine art and photography at BYUH in Laie, Hawaii. Juan also grew up surfing, but following his recovery from an accident, he took up scuba diving and became a divemaster. He traveled the world with Sea Shepherd to help combat illegal fishing and whaling. It was during the Sharkwater campaign in the Galapagos and Cocos that Juan encountered hundreds of schooling hammerheads for the first time. It would change his view of the animals forever. Ocean and Juan are the founders of One Ocean Research and Diving, Water Inspired Conservation Group, and Save The Sea Turtles International.

Ocean:

My favorite part of being underwater is the overall feeling but especially the opportunity to have incredible interactions. In the deep open ocean or even fin-tipping across large grain white sand on the ocean floor, I get the feeling of connection to infinity. Where my body ends and the ocean begins blur and I feel as infinite as the ocean — it’s a different kind of freedom that is hard to explain, but I only feel it underwater and it’s a special feeling to share that space with sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, etc. Every encounter furthers my drive to promote marine conservation. I’ve dedicated my life to starting, inspiring, and furthering conservation efforts for sharks. I want to be a voice for them, sharing those experiences and what they have shown and taught me to help people to better understand, appreciate, respect, and protect them. Diving is an essential component of my research and conservation efforts and one of the things I love most is introducing people to sharks — helping them get into the water and enjoying that time in the open ocean surrounded by sharks and diving down with them. It’s one of the most beautiful, unique, and surprisingly calming experiences I think a person can have. I think if you don’t dive and explore the world underwater, you’re missing out on at least 75% of the amazing things on planet earth because most of it and most all of the life on this planet is underwater.

Juan:

I love the peacefulness of being weightless and the soft silence underwater. No matter how rough the surface is, if you’re going with the current, it is always peaceful. I just love being underwater and interacting and observing amazing marine life and being able to share that view with others through my underwater photography and videography. I have seen some huge changes to our ocean over the years. I see less of everything — fewer healthy corals, fewer fish, and especially fewer sharks.  As an ambassador, I use my talents as a professional photographer to help people to get inspired to care about the health of the ocean. Sharks are keystones species of the ocean’s ecosystem. Without them, the ocean will not be the same. The misperception of sharks as monsters drives a fear that keeps people away from the ocean and stops people from caring about what happens to sharks and the ocean. Capturing images of Ocean’s research and diving with sharks has been a huge turning point for stopping the misguided perceptions of sharks.

Ocean:

My mother grew up in Hawaii and my father in San Diego. My father was an avid scuba diver and became an assistant instructor, my mother was a swimmer. I think it was their obvious love for the ocean and spending time playing in the waves and at the beach with them that made me naturally transition into freediving and scuba diving. I saw my first shark when I was only seven or eight years old and was instantly fascinated and snorkeled after it. My father used to throw golf balls and I would dive down and try to pick them all up on one breath or I dove down just to see the creatures on the reef closer without even realizing how deep I was going. Later, I would push my breath-hold as I explored the swim-through underwater lava tubes around Shark’s Cove. I got into scuba diving around 14 years old and then I got my divemaster, and by 18, I was a scuba instructor with over 20 specialties and a lot of experience in everything, from cold-water drysuit diving to wreck diving to night diving to conservation and scientific diving. I worked full time teaching diving in many areas of the world while I pursued my undergraduate degree in marine biology. I was able to use both scuba diving and freediving for my research around the world and eventually for my conservation efforts for sharks and marine life.

Juan:

I was born in Mexico but my parents moved to Hawaii when I was 2 months old. I grew up as a surfer, but during the summers when the waves went away, I started to freedive to improve my breath-hold for wipeouts on big waves when surfing. 

Ocean:

My father and mother had the greatest influence in my life. Their love of the ocean and respect and care for animals was how I was raised. That love and respect are a core part of me and I think it’s in my blood because even my great grandmother would swim out to the buoys off Waikiki every day until she passed away. I also really admire my husband Juan. When I met him over 10 years ago, he was one of the few people in the world speaking up for sharks. He has influenced and inspired millions of people with his captivating imagery and storytelling. So few people know his background, but he was paralyzed at one point in his life, and he overcame so many things to accomplish so much. I am also inspired by people who help support conservation efforts and donate their time to things like beach cleanups.

Juan:

As a photographer, Paul Nicklen has been a huge inspiration in the past couple years. For everything else in life, my wife Ocean has been someone I strive to keep up with. She is so talented as a freediver, researcher, conservationist, and author. I truly love the passion she has for saving sharks and the ocean — it motivates me to be better and to do more good. 

Ocean:

My incredibly talented husband Juan and I founded some companies and nonprofits together, so we work nonstop. Our work in the water takes us around the world where we film and highlight everything from whale conservation to reef conservation.  Even if we “take a day off” for our birthday all we want to do is go swim with the sharks or whales or turtles. We are both surfers and swimmers, so a surf session is always a treat now that we are so busy. We have two adorable dogs, two hilarious cats, and a pet chicken (her name is Popcorn).

Juan:

Most of my entire life is focused on the ocean. Every day. I am either taking people out to see and dive with sharks while I teach them about how to interact and their plight or I am finding something beautiful to photograph underwater. On the rare days when the conditions are not good for diving and my work at One Ocean Diving is somewhat caught up, I sneak away to surf.

Ocean:

I looooove my Cressi mask and fins. The foot pockets are sooooo soft. I was so lucky to start out with Cressi gear. My first pair of fins lasted over 10 years —  I gave them away to a student and they still held up. I most love my signature design fin because it stands for something — it’s an awareness piece to highlight the beauty and plight of sharks and the ocean and the desperately needed movement for conservation; plus, it performs like only Cressi gear does.

Juan:

I love my Carbon freedving fins and Nano mask. Oh, and the Glideskin socks are seriously the best and are the only kind that I don’t get blisters with, no matter how strong the current is or how long the day is in the water.

Ocean:

Cressi is a strong brand with solid gear and they care about conservation. I am proud to be a Cressi Ambassador and grateful for their support and the gear I use every day.

Juan: 

I remember my first mask and fins were made by Cressi. I feel like I have grown up with Cressi; the company is almost like family to me, and my fins and mask go everywhere with me. Most importantly, I love that this company wants to support efforts to help with ocean conservation.

FIND US: On Instagram: @oceanramsey, @JuanSharks, @oneoceandiving, @waterinspired, @oneoceanresearch, @oneoceansharks, @oneoceanglobal, @oneoceanconservation, @oneoceaneducation, @oneoceanHawaii, @oneoceaninterns, @savetheseaturtlesinternational, @oneoceandesigns and @oneoceanbikini. Websites: oceanramsey.com, thesharkphotographer.com, oneoceandiving.com.