My name is Alex, and I was born and raised in the Arizona desert which may explain why I’m so drawn to the water. I first learned to dive while visiting the Galápagos Islands in 2011. That first experience in a rich, pristine marine reserve captivated me; I instantly became a student of and steward for the ocean. I spent the next year diving and gaining experience in some of the most difficult and diverse diving conditions on the planet around the archipelago.

I quickly found a stability in the ocean I had never felt before, and spend the next 6 years living, working and exploring in some of world’s best dive destinations (Galapagos, Roatan, Cozumel, Catalina, Komodo, Sulawesi and Hawaii to name some of my favorites).

From 2018-2023, I worked as a divemaster and boat captain in Kona, Hawaii. I found a passion for guiding blackwater dives and off-shore ocean safaris, encountering mysterious and sometimes iconic sea creatures at night and iconic and sometimes mysterious marine megafauna during the day.

After approximately 3500 dives, 2100 hours underwater and 1000+ hours on deep ocean safaris, I believe that time in, on and around the ocean is a precious resource, and an essential part of well-being. Throughout that time I’ve developed my expertise in the ocean eco-tourism industry in order to help people learn how to enjoy and protect that resource.

I began building Inside Under in 2015, exploring opportunities in dive travel planning and private dive instruction. At Inside Under, the mission is to empower people to become stewards of marine ecosystems by inspiring a deep passion for and connection to the world’s oceans. I hope to provide people with an inside look at life underwater, in the most pristine aquatic environments around the world through concierge dive experiences.

See my areas of global experience, click here.

Photography courtesy of Alex St. Jean.