05/11/2025
The Rigorous Training of One Ocean Diving’s Shark Safety Specialists & The Benefits of Their Educational Shark Diving Program
Sharks are among the ocean’s most misunderstood predators, often vilified in media and popular culture. However, One Ocean Diving, founded by Ocean Ramsey and Juan Oliphant, has revolutionized human-shark interactions through a science-backed, safety-first, and conservation-driven approach. Their professional shark safety specialists undergo some of the most rigorous training in the world, combining decades of hands-on experience, scientific research, and emergency preparedness to ensure safe, ethical, and educational encounters with sharks.
This blog explores:
The Extensive Training of One Ocean Diving’s Shark Safety Specialists
The Science & Philosophy Behind Their Methods
The Conservation Impact of Their Program
Why Their Approach is the Gold Standard for Ethical Shark Diving
1. The Rigorous Training of One Ocean Diving’s Shark Safety Specialists
Becoming a shark safety specialist at One Ocean Diving is not just about being a skilled diver—it’s about mastering shark behavior, human psychology, emergency response, and conservation ethics.
Selection Process: Only the Most Qualified Candidates.
Water Skills & Shark Response Test: Candidates must demonstrate exceptional awareness and swimming ability and are evaluated based on how sharks react to their presence—a general disinterest from the sharks will show their baseline potential. A lack of awareness can be lethal, so only the most aware watermen and women with a combination of calm and powerful movements are selected.
Attitude & Priorities: Specialists are also chosen for their commitment to safety, respect for wildlife, and passion for conservation.
Multi-Phase Training Under Expert Supervision
Shadowing Senior Specialists: Trainees spend extended periods observing experienced guides before gradually taking on responsibilities 7.
Gradual Responsibility Increase: Trainees progress level by level, always supervised by Ocean, Juan, or senior safety divers 7.
Emergency Preparedness Drills: Regular safety and trauma drills prepare the team for every foreseeable scenario, from medical emergencies to unexpected shark behavior 7.
Specialized Knowledge & Techniques
Shark Body Language: Trainees learn to read subtle cues—postures, swim patterns, and social dynamics of concern—to predict and adapt to shark behavior.
Redirecting or deterring sharks: Trainees learn methods to deter the approach of a shark or, if necessary, redirect it. It is a requirement prior to them ever guiding on their own that they are able to deter and redirect at minimum sandbars, galapagos sharks, and tiger sharks.
Human Behavior Coaching: Specialists are trained to identify and take proactive measures to manage guest actions and reactions, preventing erratic or potentially dangerous movements that could provoke sharks.
Non-Invasive Research Methods: The team uses photo-ID tracking (no harmful tagging) to study shark populations ethically.
2. The Science & Philosophy Behind Their Methods
Ocean Ramsey and Juan Oliphant bring over 25 years each of full-time shark research, diving, and conservation work to their training program. Their approach is rooted in:
Decades of in water Experience
Global Shark Behavior Studies: From Hawaii’s reefs to great white shark encounters, their firsthand knowledge informs safety protocols.
Ethology (Animal Behavior Science): For well over a decade Ocean’s research has focuses on shark behavior, specifically, helping specialists predict and prevent adverse interactions.
Custom-Designed Safety Systems
Custom designed shark-dive Vessels ("Manō Kai" & "Niuhi"): Were designed and built for easy water exits, stability, and optimal viewing while minimizing disturbance to sharks.
Structured Dive Briefings: Guests receive in-depth biology, culture, behavior, and safety briefings before entering the water.
Controlled Freediving Signals: Guests are only signaled to dive one at a time, avoiding sudden movements that could startle sharks, they dive down only under the direct supervision of one of the OneOceanDiving shark safety specialist guides
Proactive Accident Prevention
Safety Divers Are Always First In, Last Out: No guest is ever left unattended.
Rope Systems are draped along the side of the vessel just above the water line for Safety and Group Cohesion: Prevents splashing (which attracts sharks) and keeps guests in a safe, observable zone which is also better for the comfort of nearby sharks.
Captain & Dual Safety Divers: A captain is onboard at all times and monitors from above, while two safety divers cover both sides of the boat able to see all approaching sharks.
3. The Conservation Impact of Their Program
One Ocean Diving isn’t just about safe shark encounters—it’s about saving sharks.
Policy Change: The Hawaii Shark Protection Act
After 7 years of advocacy, Ocean and Juan helped pass HB553, making Hawaii the first U.S. state to ban shark fishing.
Public Education & Advocacy
While onboard OneOceanDiving, guests learn about shark finning, bycatch, culling, shark-fishing tournaments, and impacts from the souvenir trade, mislabeling of shark meat in restaurants and pet food, shark liver oil in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and more impacts.
The program empowers people to make ocean-friendly choices (e.g., avoiding unsustainable seafood, supporting shark-friendly policies).
Direct Conservation Actions
Rescuing Entangled Sharks: The team has freed over 1,000 sharks from fishing gear.
Beach & Reef Cleanups: Monthly efforts remove harmful debris from marine habitats and create community engagement.
Educational Outreach: OneOceanDiving supports free educational guest lectures about shark and marine science and conservation in local schools and via zoom. They’ve presented for all ages and Internationally. They share marine conservation and educational information daily with hundreds of thousands of people through their many social media platforms and networks.
4. Why One Ocean Diving is the Gold Standard for Ethical Shark Encounters
Safety Record: 100% incident-free.
Non-Invasive Research: No physically invasive tagging that risks broken jaws, exhaustion, or even death. They support only photo identification tracking and noninvasive temporary CATS clamp on cameras, E-DNA, and nonlethal, mitigation device, and drone tracking.
Cultural Respect: Incorporates Hawaiian values (Manō as ʻaumakua, or family guardians) 6.
Global Influence: Their methods have inspired shark protections worldwide.
Final Thoughts: A Model for the Future
One Ocean Diving proves that humans and sharks can coexist safely and respectfully. By combining cutting-edge science, emergency preparedness, and deep cultural respect, Ocean Ramsey, Juan Oliphant, and team have created the world’s most advanced shark safety specialist training programs—one that protects sharks while transforming fear into fascination.
Want to experience it yourself?
Book a dive: OneOceanDiving.com
Take Ocean’s online course, read her book “What You Should Know About Sharks,” and support shark conservation: Sign petitions, avoid shark products, and spread awareness! Links to all on: OceanRamsey.org
Follow Ocean Ramsey’s work:
Instagram:
Book: “What You Should Know About Sharks”
Quote from Ocean Ramsey
“The goal of One Ocean Diving is to help sharks and humans coexist. To teach humans about the importance of sharks, their behavior, and how to adapt; but also about the current plight of sharks and how to get involved in saving them. We remove entanglement from the sharks, directly saving them from suffering and possible death, and we collect noninvasive welfare-first research data and share our observations for the benefit of all.
Together, we can change the narrative—from fear to respect and protection. 🦈💙”
