Who is Ricard Buxo?

I was born in Barcelona, Spain and spent my childhood at the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. I have vivid memories of the first time I poked my face underwater with a mask and a snorkel at some beach in the Costa Brava at age 5. I realized there was an entire “new world” right under the surface, and I became determined to explore this world. I recall thinking, “this is it. This is what I want”.

From then on, while studying (and later working) in architecture, I’d spend every spare moment free-diving, spear fishing and sailing. I began working abroad, always choosing jobs in destinations close to the ocean such as Algeria, Ibiza, Canarian Islands… so I could indulge in these ocean activities. I received my first diving qualification in 1990. After the economical crisis that followed the Olympic games in Barcelona in 1992, I took a leap of faith and relocated to the Red Sea to work in diving.

I lived and worked in liveaboard boats (in Israel initially and later in Egypt) for 5 years. I also started doing UW photography and writing stories for diving magazines. I mapped every reef I dived, and on my last year in the region I put together a little booklet, “Miniguide to the Southern Egyptian Red Sea”, which sold well. After crossing the entire Red Sea twice, from Egypt to Yemen, my mind yearned for a new destination…

I met my current partners in business, who invited me to join them in an exciting new venture: building a live-aboard boat in Indonesia and run diving charters throughout that archipelago… and thus Ondina was born. I moved to Indonesia in 2000 and have been living here until today. I supervised the construction of the boat for the first year, and for the next 8 years made it my home whilst conducting dive tours throughout every corner of the archipelago.

During 2007 I bought a house in Bali with an idea of spending more time ashore, pursuing other passions in writing, swimming, yoga and meditation. I have recently compiled all my briefings, pictures and maps into a new book that was released earlier in 2012, the Diving Guide to Raja Ampat. I still spend time on the boat occasionally, however I do wish to diversify and discover what professional chapter the trading winds will propel me to next…