Reef Smart Guides Northwest Florida

Scuba diving and snorkeling are becoming very popular ecotourism activities in Destin – Fort Walton Beach. We teamed up with Reef Smart Guides to produce 3D maps of some of our most popular dive and snorkel sites. If you are a diver, snorkeler, or just like the marine environment, you need to check out these guidebooks and waterproof cards.Alex Fogg (Coastal Resource Manager) – Okaloosa CountyReef Smart Guides’ detailed 3D maps of our area’s most popular locations give you all the information you need to familiarize yourself with a site ahead of time, allowing you to dive safer and more efficiently.Kalli Parauka (instructor) – Red Alert Diving, Panama City BeachReef Smart’s waterproof cards and guidebook have become an essential part of all of our dive charters. They make the site briefing much more readily understood by our divers, letting them accurately see the dive before getting in the water. Highly recommended by this Captain and Instructor!Pat Green (owner) – Panama City Diving, Panama City Beach

Peter

Born and raised in Canada, Peter received his undergraduate and Master’s degrees from McGill University. His focus on behavioral ecology and coral reef ecology led him to two field seasons at Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados, in 1999 and again in 2002. After graduating in 2003, Peter moved to the United States and began a career in science communication and writing, publishing in both peer-reviewed academic journals and the popular press. He has written on a variety of coastal ecosystem issues, including extensive work surrounding the science of ocean acidification. He is a PADI Rescue Diver with over 300 dives in 19 years of experience.

Ian

Born and raised in the U.K., Ian earned his undergraduate degree in oceanography from the University of Plymouth in 1994. He worked for five years at Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados, supporting research projects across the region, before completing his Master’s in marine biology at McGill University in 2004. He co-founded a marine biology education company, Beautiful Oceans, before founding Reef Smart in 2015 to raise awareness and encourage people to explore the underwater world. Ian has published in both the scientific and mainstream media, including National Geographic, Scuba Diver Magazine and the Globe and Mail. He is a PADI Dive Master with over 3,000 dives in 25 years of diving experience.

Otto

Born and raised in Romania, Otto graduated from the University of Art and Design in Cluj, Romania in 1991. He moved to Canada in 1999 where he studied Film Animation at Concordia University in Montreal. In 2006, Otto turned to underwater cartography and pioneered new techniques in 3D visual mapping. He co-founded Art to Media and began mapping underwater habitats around the world. Throughout his 25-year career, Otto has received numerous awards and international recognition for his work, including the Prize of Excellence in Design from the Salon International du Design de Montréal. He has also illustrated seven books. Otto is a PADI Advanced Diver with over 500 dives in 15 years of diving experience.