Deep Ecology Hawaii - About Deep Ecology Hawaii

About Deep Ecology Hawaii

Staff Bios

Ken Nichols

Born in Napa, California Ken left there as an infant. He was mostly raised in San Diego and remembers going to the beach and "Boogie Boarding " as his favorite activity as a young boy. He played and excelled at soccer but gave it up in High School because it conflicted with surfing. The ocean always tugged at him and many classes at school were missed because surf was up. On graduating from Mira Mesa High School in 1987 he found employment at one of San Diego's finest restaurants and worked there happily for eighteen months. Happy with his job but feeling complacent, Ken joined the United States Marine Corps in 1989 in the hopes of instilling initiative and discipline. Serving as an infantryman based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Ken was deployed to the Gulf War where he earned a Combat Action Ribbon. "I would be hard pressed to do it again, but the most valuable lessons in my life were learned in my experiences in the Marines." The number one lesson was the beauty of freedom. "I think that once freedom is taken away from you, you never treat it the same." This tremendous belief in freedom is what has driven Ken to fight for causes of human rights, ethics, and ecology ever since. After leaving the Marines Ken was employed by Greenpeace. Proving to be highly effective in communicating ecological issues he was one of the most successful fundraisers in the in the history of the San Diego office. In 1993 Ken had a life changing experience when he became a certified scuba diver. "I knew with my first breath underwater that I would become an instructor." In 1995 Ken and Ruth (his fiancée, now wife) moved to Hawaii where Ken obtained his instructor rating. A year later they started "Flippers Scuba" which is now Deep Ecology. More than just a desire to work as a diver his biggest goals in business is to improve the area where Deep Ecology operates and to compel other dive operations to do the same. "I believe it is our highest obligation as business persons who derive our incomes from the oceans to protect them in every way we can." He works tirelessly towards the goal of building a chain of Deep Ecologies around the globe that will document and ultimately protect the marine environment he loves so much.

Pat Johnson

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Pat was raised in England, Canada and finally in her family settled in Hollywood, California where she spent her teenage years. Marrying and moving her family to San Diego, Pat enjoyed a successful career with Pacific Bell Yellow Pages with an early retirement in 1996.

It was a special holiday trip to visit her son in 1994 that changed her direction. He certified her as an Open Water PADI diver and the beauty of the Hawaiian waters was now a true reality. It only made sense that the North Shore of Oahu was to become her new home and that a business involving the dive industry was to become her new venture! Pat shares her concern for the environment and especially marine life with her son and partner, Ken Nichols.

Daniel Morse

Daniel Morse was born in Hawaii, and learned to swim as soon as he could walk. He then began snorkeling regularly with his father at Hanauma Bay. Dan was given an introductory scuba dive for his 15th birthday, and got certified the next week. Dan is constantly increasing his level of training and diving knowledge. He is an IANTD Advanced Nitrox Instructor, a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, a TDI Nitrox Instructor, and a DAN Oxygen Instructor. He is currently pursuing training as a Trimix diver and as a rebreather instructor.