How does someone studying in London to earn a PhD in design end up owning a dive operation in Mexico? Jay Clue, once a hobby diver who used his vacation days to volunteer and dive with ocean-related research projects, is now the proud owner of Dive Ninja Expeditions — a 100% AWARE partner.

In operation since 2016, Dive Ninja Expeditions is committed to ocean protection. As a 100% AWARE partner, it donates a portion of proceeds to Project AWARE – PADI's nonprofit partner – every time a diver is certified by their shop.

But for Clue, conservation goes far beyond identifying with the nonprofit. It is at the core of everything they offer.

“Our goal is to show that tourism can work to help preserve and protect our oceans and all the incredible animals that call them home,” said Clue. "Dive Ninja Expeditions was built on this idea of trying to bridge the gaps between sustainable tourism, marine research and conservation. The concept is for tourism activities to come full circle by supporting research projects and conservation initiatives.”

During local dive tours in Cabo San Lucas, for example, Ninja guides teach guests about the area's importance and the work being done to protect it. The tours do not use any disposable plastics and all snacks are handmade by locally owned restaurants.

Citizen scientist expeditions range from mobula ray trips to striped marlin expeditions. Each tour is designed with the help of local researchers and conservationists. By participating in one of these tours, guests fund the project, help with critical research and work to protect the species at the center of the tour.

For Clue, the most rewarding part is seeing all of the different people that want to get involved in conservation. A local captain recently contacted Clue to ask how he can help teach his community about their area, because there is so much beauty in his own backyard that he didn’t realize existed. The captain is now committed to protecting his local resources so that his daughter and her kids can grow up experiencing the local beauty of the area.

While Clue and his Ninjas have accomplished a lot in these past four years, he said their partnership with Project AWARE has allowed them to access tools and resources to “put in the hard work that’s needed to keep protecting our local oceans.”

“When we started Dive Ninjas, we were super focused on only working with local research and conservation organizations as there are just so many great groups doing amazing work in our area,” Clue said. “The track record and reach that Project AWARE has is remarkable though. But best of all they are really interested in trying to help support local initiatives and their team is super helpful and passionate about collaborating and helping us further our goals to protect the waters around Baja.”

At the end of the day, Clue believes “the more humans we can inspire to take action the bigger impact we can have on helping our planet and oceans.”