about
SEBASTIAN
Sebastian was born in Bogota, Colombia. His first dive was in 2007 in Fernando de Noronha, an island offshore the northeastern coast of Brazil. He has completed just under 500 dives to date. Sebastian completed his studies at Georgetown University in Washington DC, with a degree in Science & Technology and International Affairs. He currently works at the national and international level to protect the ocean's most important places. At the moment his job is with the Marine Conservation Institute.
It depends for what—each place is special and unique. Some sites are better for
encountering charismatic megafauna, some sites for focusing on the details—a
nudibranch with splendid colors or tiny fish darting among branching corals. I think the dive that I hold closest to my heart is one I did along the Big Sur coast off California. The rugged topography and frequent large swells make much of this coastline inaccessible to both fishing and diving—as a result, the sea life is abundant. I saw a school of ocean sunfish out in the blue off of a pinnacle, and dove soaring with the surge through narrow channels encrusted with bright purple and pink hydrocorals. The schools of rockfish were so thick in places it seemed they formed walls of fish. Sea lions dashed through the water searching for a meal, and the slopes were covered in neon pink and orange strawberry anemones.The sights were reminiscent of a psychedelic Dr. Seuss book illustration— swaying kelp forests at the top of the pinnacle gave the sensation that the ground itself was moving.
1. Best dive spot you've visited?
Every dive holds the potential for an incredible surprise. Taking that chance, not knowing what you might see but knowing there’s the possibility of the unexpected when you slip underwater and blow your first bubbles is the most exciting aspect of diving. Pretty often you get blown away, seeing colors you couldn’t have imagined, an abundance of life that’s rare now most everywhere, and having close interactions with other forms of life. In Big Sur, the chances for those dives are superb, when the conditions are right (it’s not often that you can dive there).
I’d say Octopus—they are so intelligent and curious—and seem as close to alien life forms as anything on Earth. Their sense of touch and taste are one in the same—and it’s just delightful to think that though they can’t see colors, they can change both the color of their skin and the texture of their skin to blend in with their surroundings. I’ve had octopus crawl over my hands and arms on dives, and felt that they were trying to figure out what exactly a clumsy body wrapped in bulky equipment was doing in their world.
​
Anyone interested by these animals and the question of whether other animals experience consciousness in a similar way to us should read The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery.
2. What is your favorite animal to see underwater?
There is a lot of attention on plastic pollution, but proportionately, overfishing, climate
change and pollution seem to be larger immediate threats to marine ecosystems. The
most important action you can take is to vote your values in elections. In daily life, make
informed consumer choices—if you are eating seafood, check if it’s sustainably
sourced. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch app makes it easy to check
before you buy a product, either at a store or at a restaurant. Eating sustainable
seafood is a great way to support law-abiding fishermen who are good stewards of the
environment; an estimated 1/5 of seafood is caught illegally, frequently on vessels that
commit egregious human rights abuses. Buying sustainable supports not just the ocean,
but helps improve the condition of seafaring workers too.
3.What’s one easy habit you can change on a day to day basis that has a big impact on
the ocean?
Though I’ve only been diving 11 years, the consequences of climate change are
obvious; often on recent dives in tropical waters I notice bleached corals, or worse, dead coral skeletons smothered with algae. The change is happening at a rate that’s unfathomable. As an example, Pilar Corals in the Florida keys, just over the last 6 years, have declined 88% . That’s from 2014-2020, not to mention that the baseline of 2014 was likely already way down from historical populations. The loss is staggering. Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a special report on the ocean and cryosphere (glaciers and ice-related features) in a changing climate—among many other conclusions, the report states that “Almost all coral reefs will degrade from their current state, even if global warming remains below 2ºC.” An estimated 25%, or 1 out of every 4 species in the ocean use coral reefs at least during some part of their lifecycle, so the consequences of their extinction would be catastrophic.
​
Business as usual would have us on track for closer to 3-4ºC by the end of this century, and all but certain extinction of most if not all tropical shallow water coral reefs. Transformational change is needed—over the next ten years we need to slash CO2 emissions at least 50% to give the ocean a fighting chance. It will take all of us to confront this challenge.
4. What is something you’ve noticed on your dives that is an obvious consequence of
either climate change or pollution?
My camera and dive buddies that are safe, skilled, and fun. Diving often takes you to remote locations, living on boats for a few days, and the company you bring is almost as important a part of the experience as what you see underwater. Moreover, on every trip there is something unexpected. It’s nice to have a camera to capture those special moments.
5. What would you never travel to a dive site without?
Marine Conservation Institute has been at the forefront of marine conservation since 1996. Their advocacy and conservation case writing were crucial in efforts to create the largest marine protected areas in the world in the early 2000’s, and they continue to keep governments accountable to conservation commitments and to create and expand a network of Blue Parks that truly protect marine life and give it a real chance at recovery.
6.What is your favorite organization that is doing a good job with ocean
conservation?
7.What is your dream dive/ocean vacation? #1 on your bucket list?
Antarctica —the Southern Ocean has a special set of characteristics that make it
extraordinarily productive, and since it’s governed by the Antarctic Treaty system and is quite remote, the impacts of human activity on its ecosystems are limited. Images from dives there are just stunning. I want to see it for myself.
I think back to diving around Malpelo, an uninhabited island about 300 miles off the
Pacific Coast of Colombia. At one point, a school of 60-80 hammerheads swam right
above me, corralled by the bubbles of two dive buddies who were about 10 feet away
on either side of me. Seeing so many sharks pass in a narrow corridor right overhead made me think: this is what all the ocean must have been like before human activity. It also gave me hope; Malpelo is in the middle of a 27,0000 km2 marine protected area where no fishing is allowed—the abundance that still thrives there is proof that conservation, when well managed and implemented, pays dividends for the ocean, and for us.
8. Best ocean memory you have?
I would say that it may be uncomfortable at first to get used to equipment, the sensation
of water all around, and seeing life all around you—in three dimensions. But being in the ocean is as close to visiting another world as any of us will ever get. Humans are not natural prey to any ocean animals, so nothing there is out to get you—and scuba gear has a long enough history that any risks associated with diving can be managed. If you take the plunge, you can experience essentially zero gravity, while surrounded by an unparalleled abundance of life. It’s well worth facing your fears.
9. What advice do you have for people who are scared of the ocean or hesitant to snorkel or dive?
Sharks are often seen as vicious, or man-eaters, when the reality could not be farther
from the truth. I’ve seen at least 15 different species of sharks over my years of diving, and they are always docile, and peaceful. They are curious, but overall much more scared of us than we think. Bubbles are frightening to sharks—rather than scary monsters, as they are often portrayed, sharks are pacific, elegant and mind their own business unless you taunt them.
10. What is one misconception about the water or ocean creature?
If you or anyone you know wants to start scuba diving, you can get certified by PADI, then give us a call :)
If you would like more information on ocean conservation, send me an e-mail. If you have tips or lifestyle changes you've made please share!