Blog

Spooky Ocean Critters

With Halloween right around the corner, here are some of the spookiest creatures that call the ocean’s cold dark depths home.... READ MORE

FREE LIVE BROADCAST!

Join Dr. Mikki on an adventure of a lifetime as she takes you with her on a dive with Great White Sharks! Learn all about these incredible sharks as she narrates the whole experience while underwater.

LIVE Monday, October 24th at 10:30 am MST

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Get Involved with National Estuaries Week

This week is National Estuaries Week, and here at Ocean First Institute we are joining in the celebration of our country’s coasts and estuaries. Since 1988, National Estuaries Week has sought to bring awareness to the many benefits that estuaries provide and to encourage action and stewardship on their behalf.... READ MORE

High, But Not So Dry

Did you know that we once had ocean in Colorado? Over millions of years, our state changed from a floodplain to beach to ocean to swamp! And 150,000 million years ago, there were quite a few different animals walking and swimming around.... READ MORE

SEVENSEAS MAGAZINE features Blue Certified Article: Who You Dive With Matters

As part of Blue Certified’s partnership with SEVENSEAS Magazine, we invite you to dive into SEVENSEAS and explore our sustainable scuba diving article.

For many travelers, a spectacular dive is the highlight of a vacation. We seek a special glimpse of the underwater world as we glide among fascinating creatures and formations. The experience is exhilarating with the chance to see an eel or even a shark, awe-inspiring with amazing colors and textures, and relaxing with the whole sublime scene set to the rhythmic sounds of our own breathing…... READ MORE

Ocean First Institute Partners in Research Expedition to Belize

I have just returned from leading 16 students on a week-long expedition to Belize. I have been leading trips for many years and I have to say this was the best one I have ever been part of.... READ MORE

You Are the Solution

Six months ago, we started on an incredible adventure by creating a brand new youth program, the Ocean First Explorers Club, right in the mountains of Colorado. This club was designed to not only encourage exploration and discovery of the marine world, but to instill a sense of community and leadership within our members.... READ MORE

Why do we care about the ocean from an inland community?

Why is it that a small inland town such as Boulder is not only home to one of the largest SCUBA diving communities in the United States, but also to a variety of people who are dedicated to educating the community about ocean protection? And why is it important to care about the ocean and its inhabitants from a mountainous region that doesn’t even border the sea?... READ MORE

Ocean First is Blue Certified! Three Cheers & Three Quotes

Blue Certified is an eco-label tailored specifically to the dive industry. Here’s what the sustainability leaders at OF have to say about becoming Blue Certified…... READ MORE

Young Explorers in Bonaire

Just a few short weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel with 13 middle school students from the Alexander Dawson School in Colorado. Along with 2 of their teachers, we set out for the Southern Caribbean Island of Bonaire, a diver’s paradise with shallow clear water and abundant marine life. The people of Bonaire were way ahead of their time and declared the waters around their island a National Marine Park over 30 years ago. This was key, as our primary goals were to explore the underwater park, collect data on fish identification and abundance, and learn techniques in underwater photography.... READ MORE