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Diving with…. Luke Inman, Cortez Expeditions

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In this ongoing series, we speak to the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…

What is your name?

Luke Inman 

What is the name of your business?

Cortez Expeditions

What is your role within the business?

Owner/Operator & PADI Course Director, Trimix IT

How long has the business operated for?

8 Years

How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?

Diving since 1993, Professional Diver since 1996, Instructor Trainer since 2001.

PADI Course Director
PADI Tec Trimix Instructor Trainer
Divers Alert Network (DAN) IT
TDI · IANTD · RAID Technical Instructor
HSE Commercial Diver Part III

What is your favorite type of diving?

All Diving! Love teaching Open Water all the way through to Divemaster and Instructor course, but my absolute favourite is diving with Sea Lions in La Paz. Like jumping into a bath tub with Labrador puppies.

If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?

We have an exclusive adventure boutique, we offer Scuba training from basic open water through to technical divingWe are the only 5 Star PADI IDC Dive Center in La Paz and teach PADI courses to instructor level.
We offer DAN & TDI courses, support for film crews, scientists and CCR divers.

​We are renowned for our expeditions, photo & video workshops. We keep our boat to a maximum of 4 or 6 divers ensuring your experience and interactions are intimate and breath taking.

We have Fourth Element & Apeks equipment in our rental fleet and we include computers.

We pride ourselves is being a sustainability leader. Ensuring no single use plastic is used on our boat and our dive practices have no negative effect on the environment. Read about us on Trip Advisor. Cortez Expeditions are the experts on The Sea of Cortez. With over 20 years of experience living and working in La Paz, Cortez Expeditions are not just the exclusive boutique dive centre, they are the chosen expedition leaders and logistic experts for institutions like The BBC Natural History Unit, Netflix, Disney, National Geographic Society & Television.

In 2018 we provided production support for Netflix “Our Planet”. In 2019 and 2020 Cortez Expeditions completed the safety and logistics for The BBC’s upcoming Planet Earth 3 Series and National Geographic America Series.

What is your favorite dive in your location and why?

Los Islotes the sea lion colony. This is the main reason many scuba divers visit La Paz. We are proud at Cortez Expeditions to be able to say we “wrote the book on Los Islotes”. Our owner and course director Luke Inman published the award winning book “Los Islotes – The Jewel of Espritu Santo”.

 

Los Islotes is the jewel of the protected area and marine reserve. There are very few locations in the world so close to a big city that allow for wild animal interactions like Los Islotes.

What types of diving are available in your location?

We teach everything from open water to instructor and tec diving with hypoxic trimix. There is something for everyone, but we are most famous for the big stuff…large pelagics that hang out at sea mounts and in open ocean like the mobulas.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role?

Being a mentor and teacher, I enjoy training all people, giving back to the ocean and to the community. My goal as a teacher is to have students eclipse my achievements. I want students to be better than me.

What is your favorite underwater creature?

Can I give you a top five? Sea Lion, Orca, Octopus, Giant Manta, Sea Otter.

Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?

We are in the process of becoming a Career Development Center for PADI and will be offering nitrox  in all our dives and courses.

As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?

Like any tourism business the effect of COVID has reduced us down to 10-20% capacity.

Is your center involved in any environmental work?

We don’t like the expression “Eco-Tourism”, too many business use the term and in reality they are simply not eco orientated. We strive to be constantly sustainable in our practices. It is always evolving.

Since our inception 8 years ago, donating our time and resources has become an important part of our strategy to be active in our community. We constantly endeavour to ensure we are improving and ensuring our practices are sustainable.

We decided the best way to enrich our community was to give back doing what we do best. We do diver training very well. We are currently the number one listed PADI dive centre on Trip Advisor, we complete more recreational, technical and professional certification than any other dive centre in La Paz.

Every October we open our Scholarship Program. The program is open to local undergraduate and post graduates in La Paz that need scuba training to complete their Tourism or Scientific Studies.

The application process will be from 1st October to 31 January 2021. With awards being given in First Quarter of 2021.

There are Six Scholarships available for 2021.

The scholarships are as follows:

  1. PADI Open Water through to PADI Rescue
  2. Technical Diver Training
  3. Divemaster Training

We will choose two candidates for each Scholarship (Male and Female)
Applicants must meet the prerequisites to enrol on the respective courses. The other prerequisites are:

  • Be a legal resident of Mexico (Mexican or with legal immigration status)
  • ​Be 18 years old
  • Currently studying at UABCS, CICIMAR, CIBNOR
  • Prove Scuba Diving is essential to their studies – Tourism, Marine Research
  • Be in the final part of studies.

How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?

Where do I start….? LOL that is a big question!

I see the industry is making some good choices in becoming more sustainable, but it is slow.

The industry needs to start being more business-like and pay its staff a living wage.

We strive and ensure all our staff are paid a good wage to make diving a sensible and good option to other careers.

We need to see more women in diving. Women make better divers than men for a number of reasons.

I would like to see every dive agency ensure every student receives a course quality questionnaire. Once the student has completed the quality questionnaire the certification is issued, not before.

Diving is not a volume business, it is service and training based. For some reason many business owners price structure is based on volume. We need to base pricing on our time and effort.

What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?

We have small groups and Sea lions…….

Where can our visitors find out more about your business?

www.cortezexpeditions.com

News

Diving Talks Rises to Become the World’s Second Largest Diving Event in Online Visibility

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diving talks

Diving Talks, Portugal’s internationally acclaimed diving conference, has officially become the second most visible diving event online worldwide, according to aggregated performance data across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other digital platforms.

With a rapidly growing digital presence that includes over 365,000 YouTube views and more than 25,000 social media visitors, Diving Talks has solidified its position as a global reference in diving content, storytelling, and thought leadership.

“In just a few short years, we’ve built more than a conference — we’ve built a global conversation about the future of diving,” said Arlindo Serrão, spokesperson for Diving Talks. “From deep cave expeditions to marine conservation, our speakers are some of the most accomplished and inspiring figures in the underwater world — and now their stories are reaching a truly global audience.”

Global Ranking

Based on comparative visibility across digital media, the current ranking of the top five diving events by online visibility is as follows:

1. ADEX Asia Dive Expo – Long-established brand with multi-platform digital reach across Asia
2. Diving Talks – The fastest-growing platform in Europe, with unmatched video engagement and curated speaker content
3. DEMA Show – The largest trade-only show in the world, with strong B2B digital presence
4. boot Düsseldorf (Dive Segment) – Massive event footprint, with diving as a key but not exclusive focus
5. Salon de la Plongée (Paris Dive Show) – A dominant force in Francophone markets, growing steadily online

An Invitation to Brands

“For dive gear manufacturers, training agencies, destinations, and ocean-focused brands, this is your moment,” added [Spokesperson Name]. “Diving Talks has become one of the most powerful digital platforms in the diving world. If you want your message to be seen, heard, and respected globally — this is where you show up.”

Sponsorship and digital placement opportunities for the upcoming edition are now open, offering brands high-visibility integration into Diving Talks’ growing multimedia ecosystem.

An Expanding Digital Footprint

Diving Talks’ rise has been fueled by a video-first strategy, high-profile speaker interviews, and deep audience engagement through debates, lightning talks, and behind-the-scenes content.

Its YouTube channel is now the most-watched in the diving conference space, attracting both recreational divers and technical specialists from around the globe.

The conference continues to grow its presence across platforms and is investing in new digital initiatives to further expand its global community.

Looking Ahead

With the next edition already in the works and an ambitious content strategy in place, Diving Talks is poised to challenge for the top spot in online visibility — setting a new standard for how diving events connect with the world.

Contact:

Arlindo Serrao
arlindo.serrao@portugaldive.com
www.divingtalks.com

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Marine Life & Conservation

UNESCO endorses Ocean Literacy project by leading diving organisations

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Ocean Literacy project

The DAN.PADI programme brings ocean knowledge to all through a free eLearning platform

The DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project has been officially recognised as an Ocean Decade Action by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, joining the prestigious Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) programme under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

This endorsement is a significant recognition of the scientific value and social relevance of the programme. It also plays a vital role in extending the project’s reach and impact, helping to spread marine culture across all ages, languages and nationalities – a goal at the heart of DAN Europe and PADI’s shared vision to achieve balance between humanity and ocean.

The DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project is an international educational initiative designed to raise awareness and empower younger generations to become stewards of the ocean. Through a dynamic e-learning experience, its mission is to make ocean knowledge accessible and engaging by combining science, sustainability and storytelling. The programme features high quality content developed by DAN Europe in collaboration with university professors and marine science researchers. Available in English and Italian, it is currently being used by DAN and PADI instructors in schools, dive centres and youth initiatives.

It consists of four core learning modules:

  • Citizen Science – Encouraging students to take an active part in marine research.
  • Plastic Pollution – highlighting the impact of human waste on marine ecosystems.
  • Climate Change – Understanding the ocean’s role in the global climate crisis.
  • Underwater Archaeology – exploring history through underwater cultural heritage.

The project is based on a successful initiative – Scuola D’Amare – launched in Italy in 2019 by a local PADI association, with the approval of MIUR (Italian Ministry of Education). 180 PADI instructors were trained to deliver the programme, which used diving as a gateway to environmental education and discovery. In just five years, Scuola D’Amare has introduced over 80,000 students in 17 regions to the wonders of the Mediterranean Sea.

From this successful start, the project evolved into the DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project – a scalable, international programme that embeds ocean literacy into diving education. The aim is not only to equip students with environmental knowledge, but also to instill a deep, personal sense of responsibility for ocean conservation.

Now, with UNESCO’s official endorsement, the programme is expanding its original scope to provide wider access to ocean education for people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. With freely accessible content, the programme pushes the boundaries of traditional learning environments and aims to inspire curiosity and promote awareness of the ocean far beyond schools and into communities around the world.

This collaboration brings together DAN Europe’s expertise in dive safety and scientific outreach with PADI’s global reach, supported by a network of 128,000 dive instructors and more than 30 million certified divers in 186 countries over the last 50 years. Together, the two organisations aim to embed ocean literacy into the educational journeys of new generations and global communities, promoting sustainable ocean use, climate action and collective responsibility.

UNESCO’s support is a powerful boost to our mission,” said Laura Marroni, Exec. Vice President of DAN Europe. “It strengthens our ability to spread marine culture on a global scale – reaching new audiences, in new places, and inspiring a deeper connection with the sea.

“This recognition by UNESCO reinforces the critical role divers play as ambassadors for ocean protection,” said David Murray, Managing Director of PADI EMEA. “Through the DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project, we are making ocean education more inclusive, accessible, and impactful—empowering individuals of all ages to become true Ocean Torchbearers. Together, we’re creating positive ocean change in everyday life, not just for divers, but for the global community.”

Go to https://oceanliteracy.edu.daneurope.org/index to access the programme.

The platform is also accessible via the TalentLMS app, available for iOS and Android. When using the app for the first time, mobile users must enter the full domain https://oceanliteracy.edu.daneurope.org/ to log in and begin their learning journey. Whether learning on desktop or mobile, course progress is automatically synced across devices for a seamless experience.

About DAN Europe

DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network Europe) is an international non-profit medical and research organisation devoted to the health and safety of divers. Since 1983, it has provided medical assistance, scientific research, education and innovative safety initiatives to the global diving community. DAN Europe is also an advocate for environmental responsibility and the responsible practice of diving.

www.daneurope.org

About PADI

PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the largest purpose-driven diving organization with a global network of 6,600 dive centers and resorts, 128,000 professional members and more than 30 million certified divers to date. Committed to our blue planet, PADI makes the wonder of the underwater world accessible to all, empowering people around the world to experience, explore and take meaningful action, as Ocean TorchbearersTM, to protect the world beneath the surface. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. For divers by divers, PADI is obsessed with transforming lives and, with its global foundation, PADI AWARETM, creating positive ocean change. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.

www.padi.com

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