Jesus Ruiz Lopez
President

Jesus has been diving in Mexico from the age of 16. This was mainly in order to perform his profession, which was fishing. He moved to the Netherlands where he did his PADI courses. He became a PADI instructor and DAN Oxigen Provider instructor in Barcelona. He worked as an instructor in the Netherlands for some years and in Mexico, and then moved to St Maarten with his family in 2003. He now runs a small dive operation.


Eliane Polack
Secretary

Eliane was taken on her parents’ dives at an early age. She started her NOB certification in the Netherlands in 1981 with a rigorous course, but she prefers a more relaxed way of diving, in warm and clear waters with colorful corals and marine life. Having an MA in art history, she is now a publisher of scientific journals and brochures, and devotes her spare time to the Ocean Care Foundation.


Tadzio Bervoets
Board Member

Tadzio started diving ten years ago on St Maarten and continued diving in various locales around the world. Holds a Bachelors degree in International Relations from the University of South Florida and now works at a small dive shop. He hopes that Ocean Care will change the mentality of the people of St Maarten, making them realize how beautiful and unique their underwater world is.


Rikke Speetjens
Board Member

Rikke is born in Denmark and moved to St Maarten in 2005 with her husband. She started diving in 1991 on a visit to Australia and became fascinated by the underwater world and upon returning to her home country became an eager coldwater diver. Previously to settling on St Maarten she lived 4 years in Florida, working in aquaculture. She holds a degree in Biology and is the team scientist in Ocean Care's Reef Check program.



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