The Sea of Cortez was called Aquarium of the Sea by Jacques Cousteau, and once you visit it you can understand why– it is truly a special place in the world. But my visit to the Sea of Cortez was not only unique because of its beauty, but also because of what I experienced with Héroes del Mar.
Héroes del Mar (Heros of the Sea) is an NGO that started with a dream. Dora Sandoval owns a liveaboard company in the Sea of Cortez and after many years of running the business, she wanted to give more. She had a dream of giving children from local communities the opportunity to get on the boat and show them their region from a different view. After hard work she funded Héroes del Mar, a three year program that allows kids from coastal communities around the Sea of Cortez to experience trips on a liveaboard. Every year during the three years, they get a week on the boat, where they learn to dive, have lectures with experts, discussions, and different activities that will give them tools for their future.
When I first heard of the program, I knew I wanted to be involved somehow, and I was fortunate enough to be invited as a volunteer during the second generation last trip. The adventure started in Hermosillo Sonora, where the staff met and we started our road trip on a van, passing though different communities, picking up the kids from their homes. After eight hours, we arrived at Puerto Peñasco and embarked on our boat, Quino el Guardián.
As it was the last year of the second generation, it was nice to see how the kids got reunited with their friends. They completed their open water certification a year ago, so it was time to get in the water and feel confident again. It was really powerful to learn that some did not even knew how to swim when they started the program and now they are certified divers. I helped the Dive Masters during the dives and made sure everyone was safe and had no troubles. This year, they learned how diving can be useful. They were taught how to do fish and benthic surveys, how to retrieve fishing gear during dives, and they learned basic photography skills. It was so much fun watching them get better in every skill and seeing them overcome the challenges they faced.
During the trip, the kids (most of whom are about to finish high school) also got lectures to help them with life skills, such as preparing for applying for jobs, writing motivation letters, and practicing interviews. I got the chance to give a presentation to them, talking about my story, how I got to this point in my life, and how I became the 2025 North American Scholar of the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society. It was really nice sharing my story with them and assuring them that perseverance and hard work can help you accomplish your dreams.
Spending a week at Heroes del Mar was super rewarding. I felt very moved getting to know all of the kids and learning their stories. This week reminded me that every action counts, and how working with coastal communities, specifically with youths, can be helpful for a better future for everyone.
A special thanks to everyone that is part of Héroes de Mar, Dora Sandoval and México Liveaboards for this beautiful opportunity. A big thank you to Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society for giving me this dream opportunity. Thank you to all my sponsors: Aqualung, Drysuits Unlimited International (DUI), Faith Ortins/Blue Green Expeditions, Fourth Element, and Backscatter for giving me the gear and tools I will need during my year.
