About Us
Meet the Team
Monica Chavez
Languages
Marketing & Adminstration graduate
- Advertising Creator and Director
- Market Researcher and Strategy Specialist
- Digital and Online Manager
- Chief Executive Officer and Financial Strategist
- Organizational Development Specialist
- Costumer Service and Post-sale Administrator
Born and raised in my beloved Mexico, I grew up in a family full of passionate entrepreneurs in the shape of mom, dad, brother and sister. It soon started to have an effect on me since at age 9 I had a brownie-selling project at school (first foodie alert), and later on at 20 y/o I had my frozen yogurt shop ready to go! As I emerged to the young adulthood phase and form, I had the opportunity to take over several family business while getting my Marketing Degree, which is the creative and fun part of a business (sorry to any accountant reading!).
Ever since I was little I liked to travel and seek new horizons, meeting other people, cultures and dishes. I lived in France, Spain and the caribbean island of St. Martin, but heart in hand nothing could beat my sunny, charming and guacamolishy Mexico! I’ve always been really fond of nature, camping, hiking, and of course snorkeling and diving. I took my first dive at thirteen years old! If you don’t know why I’m in love with the nature over here, I gladly extend you our invitation to come and see it for yourself (nope, it’s not some marketing trick)!
Nico Mommens
Hotel management & Accountancy graduate
Speaks French, Spanish, English & Dutch
+2000 dives +290 students
As a kid, it was clear that water was my element. Obsessed with the idea of being able to stay for a long time underwater, I trained holding my breath in bed before going to sleep. Doing this would eventually allow me to spend time with the dolphins in the open ocean. A few years later, I first watched “Le Grand Bleu”, I could totally relate with the main character. It is still my favorite movie.
After graduating in Hotel Management and also in Accountancy, it was high time for me to fulfill my dream and become a Scuba diving Instructor.
Sharing my passion and opening the doors to this wonderful underwater world to the others is what I most like to do.
A few years ago, I also officially started Freediving in Dahab, Egypt. Often asked what I like best between Scuba Diving and Freediving, my answer is: I love both equally and they are very different pursuits. When Scuba diving, you look outside, however, being immersed with only one breath allows you to look inside…
Yago Rodriguez
I’ve been in the water as far back as I can remember. I was born in northern Spain in 1984 and spent my entire childhood washed by the northern seas and amazed by Jaques Cousteau’s films. Like any kid, I was of course also amazed by dinosaurs, cosmology and distant planets, and literally everything that did not exist any longer or was plainly too far away to witness, specially the deep Ocean. All those distant worlds, all those fantastic creatures! How wonderful must have been to be an explorer!
This craving ultimately sparkled a life-changing decision: in 2008 I dropped all I had and started working and travelling around the globe. From Spain to Malta, Austria, France, New Zealand, Bonaire, St Martin and lastly, Mexico, where I decided to set my own project alongside my incredible wife, Monica.
Along the way I developed a taste for technical diving, underwater exploration and conservation, as well as strict principles and high standards in my work. I’m glad to say that all this eventually leaded into Blue Nation!
13 Years as a Dive Pro
300+ Happy Students
+ 7000 dives
Professional Qualifications
Diving & Academic
Professional Qualifications
Diving & Academic
Academic Qualifications:
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Main Professional Ratings:
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Surveying the inside of the "Mairi Bahn" wreck during a GUE documentation dive.
Photo credit: Kirill Egorov
Conservation & Exploration
Feats & Deeds
Conservation & Exploration
Feats & Deeds
- Coral Restoration. Transplanting nursery-grown coral into degraded parts of the reef, as well as teaching students and performing public speeches. (Check www.crfbonaire.org for more info)
- Turtle Conservation. Monitoring turtle population, nests and hatchings (Check www.bonaireturtles.org for more info)
- Bat Conservation. Monitoring bat populations, cave survey and a lot of bush-whacking. (Check www.wildconscience.org)
- Cave exploration. Exploring unknown dry and wet caves, surveying and mapping. We eventually founded the Caribbean Speleological Society (CARIBSS) back in 2016 to support these and other projects. (Check www.caribss.org for more info)
- Several documentation & exploration projects. With the local Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) Team of Bonaire.
A Bit More About Me
Fun Facts & Stuff
A Bit More About Me
Fun Facts & Stuff
Restless and hyperactive as I am, I ended up living in a number of places around the world and can speak Spanish, English, French and Portuguese...when I don't speak so fast it all turns out gibberish, that is!
People tend to say about me that I'm strict and thorough (whatch out students!), and probably a bit stubborn too (I lied on the "probably").
Always willing to take on new enterprises, if you have some crazy stuff in mind don't hesitate on telling!
Yago after entering the water before a deep dive, probably needing to re-arrange those hoses a bit more 😉
Victor Vargas
Having been so fortunate of been born and raised in the majestic Baja California, were tall mountains meet the blue waters of the Cortez, I naturally developed a taste for nature and the great outdoors.
I did my first SCUBA dive whan I was only ten years old and I’ve been in love with the ocean ever since.
At sixteen I started driving boats around the Loreto Bay National Park and engage in many other activities in the sea. Soon enough I became boat captain and also carried on with my college formation to become a professional by achieving my Tourism Services degree. Fun fact: I also studied in Gastronomy School and worked as a chef for a while!
One of my main goals is to promote conservation and the care for our nature, by spreading awarenes and “know-how”. In Blue Nation we can do that at the same time we create unforgettable experiences for our guests, so they can experience this wonderful and diverse ocean the same way I see it through my eyes.
