MEET HANLI & PETER
Partners in life, adventures and family, Hanli & Peter started OCEAN TRAVEL in 2016. While working together to grow the I AM WATER Ocean Conservation Foundation, which shares ocean experiences with thousands of children from underserved communities each year, they realised that launching a travel company was the natural next step. Answering two burning questions of ‘how do we get more people to fall in love with the ocean’ and ‘how do we secure more donations for the charity’. OCEAN TRAVEL donates a percentage of all profits to I AM WATER in South Africa, and through freediving and deep ocean connection, OCEAN TRAVEL guests experience the ocean in a unique way, fostering lasting transformation.
In 2021 Hanli & Peter launched AGULHAS, the first ever sustainable freediving brand, solving their last big question: ‘where can we find truly ocean-friendly equipment’. Hanli & Peter live in Cape Town with their rescue dog, 4 chickens and two children.
WHY CHOOSE OCEAN TRAVEL?
“We don’t really see ourselves as a travel company. We are expert ocean explorers with a deep love for sharing the ocean with others. We have spent almost two decades traveling this blue planet, searching for the very best ocean experiences, building relationships with researchers and local guides. How we host, where we dive, what you see, learn and even eat! is carefully designed for your personal journey into ocean & self. Small group travel is not arbitrary, we believe in shared experiences, celebrating each others’ growth and building community.”
Hanli
Growing up on a horse farm in rural South Africa, Hanli’s love of nature and the human need for wilderness were instilled at an early age. Hanli discovered freediving when she was 19, setting 11 national records. Since retiring from competitive freediving she is active as a sought-after freediving coach and keynote speaker.
She is passionate about (re)connecting people with the ocean; through the innovative programmes of the I AM WATER Ocean Conservation Foundation she founded, the trips offered by OCEAN TRAVEL and the equipment AGULHAS designs. Her personal quest of freediving with marine megafauna has resulted in numerous exhibitions, films and articles about the human/animal connection.
Hanli has been named one of Conde Nast Travellers Top 50 Travellers of our Time and is a Young Global Leader under the World Economic Forum and an Ashoka Fellow.
Peter
Born in Atlanta, USA, Peter graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Economics before he pursued his dream of becoming a professional swimmer. During his career as a swimmer, Peter claimed two world titles, eight world records and enjoyed eleven consecutive years on the US National Team. Throughout his professional swimming career, he had the privilege to travel extensively on the World Cup Circuit and other events. Peter is a qualified freediving instructor, Los Angeles County ocean lifeguard and acclaimed underwater photographer. Using his extensive in-water skills, Peter is best known for capturing human/ animal interactions underwater on one breath, with no artificial light.
Passionate about seeing sustainability in both business and sports, Peter is the driving force behind the social entrepreneurship model of OCEAN TRAVEL as well as sustainable freediving brand AGULHAS.