One Breath, One Ocean: Free-Diving with Juan Carlos Aguilar

Life for Juan Carlos Aguilar has always revolved around the ocean. As a child growing up in San Diego, his first experiences underwater were through snorkeling adventures with his father. Later on, he joined the waterfront crew at the Wrigley Marine Science Center and gained his AAUS Scientific Diver certification. He also gravitated toward free-diving, a form of underwater diving without the use of a breathing apparatus. In free-diving, divers rely on their ability to hold their breath and on their connection with the ocean.

In this video, Juan shares his deep appreciation for the feeling of weightlessness, the silence, and the freedom he experiences while free-diving. Free-diving helps him reconnect with nature in a meaningful way and reminds him that the ocean is a vast and wondrous place to not only be explored, but also protected.