While the world was closing its borders to travelers, a pair of Torchbearers opened their minds to the opportunity they saw before them.
Hannah (@simplyhannah), 23, CEO and Founder of Hülya Swim an eco-friendly swimwear brand dedicated to cleaning the ocean; and John (@johngarzaphoto), 34, a professional photographer with many accolades, found themselves stuck in Bimini, the Bahamas right as the world began to shut down due to COVID-19.
While people fled back to Florida, their home, they decided to stick it out as long as they could on the little island. While charters and public dive trips were at a halt John and Hannah spent their days diving with Neil Watson’s crew at Bimini Scuba Center, enjoying the Hammerheads that migrate through Bimini. Since the Bimini Scuba Charter couldn’t operate due to COVID grounding their operations Hannah and John invited Neil and his crew to fun dive with them. The pair spent three weeks doing nothing but diving with the Hammerheads and capturing breathtaking content all across the island.
While most of the world was still closed, after being home for several months the two met up where they made plans to safely adventure to Tulum to seek out the Whale Sharks. After going on a successful and fun trip with friends John was asked by many through social media if he would ever host another Whale Shark trip, as he used to host many in pre-COVID. Hannah offered her services to “tighten” and “organize things” to make the expeditions smooth sailing and a more enjoyable experience for all involved. Fresh out of college and being a young entrepreneur the two created an unstoppable team.
As the trips gained a lot of attraction and attention people questioned how they were able to embark on an international trip. Believe it or not, most people didn’t even know Mexico was open but once they did their trips filled quickly and they added trip after trip to the calendar.
After the summer of traveling and executing many Whale Shark Expeditions, John and Hannah decided that it was time to make things official. Business and personally. John and Hannah became an official couple and started their expedition company – Ocean Outcast Expeditions (@oceanoutcastexpeditions) (oceanoutcasts.com).
Currently, the pair are traveling to Oahu, Hawaii where John lived for eight years. The pair will be leading an expedition for a family that will be focused on wildlife, eco-friendly practices, and ways to live sustainably. On top of that, the two will be creating interactions with wildlife and marine life. Specifically, turtles, sharks, and dolphins.
With sustainability at the forefront of their company’s mission and their agendas, Hannah and John plan to execute eco-friendly and sustainable charters aboard their new 50ft Lagoon Catamaran in partnership with PurlyBlu; a company dedicated to cleaning and saving the ocean of plastic debris. Each charter will have full-service meals and amenities. The charters will accommodate everything from the average family with a new interest in the ocean to the avid diver wanting to explore locations like Tiger Beach and The Hammerheads in Bimini. The boat will be outfitted for scuba diving, free diving, comfort living, sailing, and memories to last a lifetime.
To stay in the loop with Hannah and John be sure to follow them on Instagram and follow Ocean Outcast Expeditions as well to see where they are in the world and any upcoming trips they might have. To book a trip or see more information on what an eco-friendly catamaran trip may look like visit oceanoutcasts.com or email [email protected].
