42 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
a chain of swim and scuba schools,
he didn't plan to become an aquatic
conservationist. Shortly after
DiVentures opened, Hollis began
organizing dive trips for his scuba
students. The divers were interested
in the fish and other aquatic creatures
they saw beneath the water, so Hollis
began inviting marine biologists and
researchers from the places they
visited to talk about the species and
ecosystems the divers got to see.
These talks were a hit, Hollis said.
The divers were rapt. They asked
questions. Inevitably, one of those
questions was "what can I do?"
Visiting a place – even just once –
and seeing an underwater environment
that most people don't, had a strong
impact on many of the divers.
"It's hard to convince someone to
conserve something they haven't seen,"
Thousands of youth and adult students take swimming lessons at the DiVentures Omaha location each year.
Dean Hollis grew up "on, in and under the
water." In 2009, he founded DiVentures.
