There’s nothing quite like seeing a graceful, powerful shark up close. Many people are drawn to sharks and many other marine animals just from seeing them on video, in an aquarium or reading about them. But when you get in the open ocean and meet these animals for yourself, you’re compelled to protect them and their critical habitats.

That’s why OCEARCH, a nonprofit organization that does expansive research on great white sharks and other key marine species, believes that more and more people should get scuba certified.

“It’s human nature to protect what we love, so encouraging exploration of the ocean through activities like scuba diving is vital to our mission,” says Chris Fischer, founding chairman of OCEARCH. “Responsible participation in sustainable water sports is one of the best ways to interact with the ocean and discover vast and amazing it truly is.”

If you want to discover the underwater world for yourself, and see first-hand why we need to take a stand and protect it, start your open-water scuba course today.