Juan finished his degree in fine art and photography at BYUH in Laie, Hawaii, just 20 minutes from where he grew up on the North Shore of Oahu. Juan is one of the founders of One Ocean Research and Diving, Water Inspired Conservation, and now on the board of Save The Sea Turtles International nonprofit foundation.
Juan grew up surfing in front of his families home at chuns reef in the center of the north shore of Oahu. Although he was taught to SCUBA and freedive as early as seven years old he didn't really focus on diving until it was a way to heal his back after a zipline accident left him paralyzed. After learning to walk again and slowly regaining his strength after multiple surgeries, his doctor advised him to take a break from surfing, but Juan grew up in the ocean and couldn't stay away. He took up diving regularly and became a divemaster and traveled the world with SeaShepard to help combat illegal fishing and whaling in 1999. It was during the SharkWater campaign to the Galapagos and Cocos that he truly realized that sharks needed more help. From then on he began purposely diving with sharks on a regular basis and has worked with them year round ever since trying to help change the perception others had of them as monsters into a respectful and healthy appreciation for them as apex predators, important for marine ecosystems, and in need of our help and protection from wasteful practices like shark finning for shark fin soup and shark fishing.