World-class divers you should follow on Twitter and Instagram

Ocean Ramsey

“People think sharks are going to attack them but that’s so far from the truth – most of the time the sharks are more afraid of us.” – Ocean Ramsey

Freediver, scuba instructor, and shark and marine conservationist, Ocean Ramsey has gotten the world’s attention with her courageous swimming adventures with none other than the mighty great white shark.

Although these legendary predators spark fear in many people since one-third to one-half of annual shark attacks worldwide are attributed to them, Ramsey swims openly with them with utmost confidence which earned her the nickname “Shark Whisperer.” She even said that she is more afraid of driving on the road than swimming with sharks. Ramsey also believes that sharks are actually more predictable than people that’s why she has no apprehension being with them in the water.

You can follow Ocean Ramsey on Twitter to stay updated with her adventures and campaigns for the environment. Check her Instagram account to see some of her incredible photos as she swims with sharks and other marine creatures.

Randall Arauz

Shark fin soup is a delicacy in Chinese restaurants around the world and the high demand for this exotic soup has led to the pitiful slaughter of sharks. In fact, as many as 100 million sharks are killed for their fins every year to meet the global demand. The substantial decline in shark populations has become a huge threat in keeping the balance in marine ecosystems.

Diver, biologist and conservationist Randall Arauz is a strong advocate for the protection of sharks and turtles. He helped shut down a green turtle slaughterhouse in 1999 and imposed a fins-attached landing policy for sharks in 2006 in Costa Rica. He was also a key person in the shutting down of private docks used by Taiwanese shark finning vessels in 2010.

Arauz received several international recognitions for pushing environmental sustainability and exposing inhumane practices during the last 15 years.  Among these awards include the PEW Fellowship in Marine Conservation (PEW Charitable Trust, 2016), 100 Guardian Angels of the Planet (Ecological Green Games, UNESCO, 2013), and the Global Shining Hero Award (The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, 2010). He was also the 2010 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize for Central and South America (Goldman Fund, 2010) which gave him the opportunity to meet US President Obama.

To add to his roster of awards, Arauz was recently named by Scuba Diving and Seiko as May 2019 Sea Hero for his zealous work in putting a stop to overfishing and illegal fishing in the Eastern Pacific region. The biologist has gone on 39 expeditions to Cocos Island in Costa Rica since 2004 and his experiences opened his eyes to the sad plight of the region’s marine animal life. This drove him to campaign against damaging fishing practices to protect the area’s incredible fauna for generations to come.

You can follow Randall Arauz on Twitter to learn more about his petitions against finning including his campaign for banning the export of shark fins.

Sylvia Earl

“My heroes are individuals who are doing what they can to influence the people around them to care for sharks, the ocean, and the natural world.” – Sylvia Earl on Twitter

Sylvia Earl is a diver, marine biologist, author, lecturer, and the first woman to ever become a chief scientist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She is a recipient of more than 100 recognitions which includes the 2013 National Geographic Hubbard Medal, 2009 TED Prize, Netherlands Order of the Golden Ark, and medals from different conservation societies and foundations. In line with her fruitful efforts in marine conservation, Earl has been referred to as “Her Deepness” by the New York Times and “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress and awarded as the first “Hero for the Planet” by Time Magazine.

She founded the Mission Blue, an organization that epitomizes her ultimate goal to ignite public awareness for a worldwide network of marine protected areas. As a diver, Early has led over 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater. You can follow Sylvia Earl on Twitter to learn more about her passion for exploring and protecting the ocean.