Jonathan began diving recreationally as a teenager with his father. He was immediately fascinated with exploring marine ecosystems and the desire to dive and learn shaped his future career choices. Jonathan took scuba diving from a recreational hobby to a professional pursuit during an internship in Mexico. He conducted coral reef fish research and studied to be a Divemaster on the beautiful Mesoamerican reef system. After working as a diver and educator at an aquarium in Tennessee, Jonathan moved up to Alaska to guide snorkel and free dive tours (It’s not as cold as you’d think!). The enormous sea stars and occasional humpback whale or orca made every tour a surprise and he loved to share that excitement with his guests.

Feeling motived to take his diving to the next step, Jonathan then ventured to Honduras to undergo training to become a PADI instructor. As a newly qualified instructor, he began working at a dive shop off the coast of Southern California on Catalina Island. There he worked for the local dive shop and ran his own dive program at a nearby Boy Scout Camp. The lush kelp forests, rocky walls, and playful sea lions made for an incredible classroom for his students.

While he had grown fond of the mighty Pacific, his roots back east motivated him to seek a new opportunity. Jonathan worked as a civilian diver for the Navy while pursuing a Master’s in Coastal and Marine Biology at the University of North Florida. With the new diploma fresh off the presses, he accepted a position with Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) where he conducts research on mollusks and crustaceans all up and down the northwest coast of Florida. He loves to talk science and is excited about sharing marine life knowledge with his students. Jonathan brings ample diving experience from across the continent and will go out of his way to ensure that you become a confident and skilled diver.