Since 1999, Curt Bowen has coordinated dozens of Yucatan cave expeditions into multiple sections of the Yucatan. During these expeditions these teams have discovered, mapped and documented over 300 previously unexplored cave systems.
Dr. Tomas Iliffe
Cave Biologist • Explorer
Dr. Tom Iliffe is a professor of Marine Biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston. He has conducted diving investigations of marine caves in more than 30 countries worldwide for the past 25 years. As a result, Tom has discovered more than 300 new species of cave-adapted animals, published 165 scientific papers and been featured in 7 documentary films for National Geographic, PBS and other TV networks..
Brett Hemphill
Underwater Cave Explorer
Jeff Toorish
Explorer • Photojournalist
Jeff Toorish is a professional photographer, award winning video producer and director. His documentary photography work includes a recently completed study of the Shaker religion that will be included in a soon to be published book.
Jeff is a Navy veteran and former television reporter. He is a native of Ohio but has lived in Maine for nearly 30 years.
Brett Hemphill
Explorer
Brett Mini Bio.
Tamara Thomsen
Explorer • Cave Biology Assistant
By the time Tamara Thomsen had earned her masters degree from University of Wisconsin- Madison in 1993, she had long since caught the diving bug while taking a college scuba course. She has become one of a handful of female technical diving instructors, teaching cave and mixed-gas diving. Her expertise in scientific diving takes her around the world to teach, to photograph and collect subterranean bio-organisms, and to explore and survey underwater caves and shipwrecks.
Rusty Farst
Explorer • Videographer
Rusty started filming the underwater environment in 1993, as a result of local fisherman wanting to see the sea floor off the southwest Florida Coastline. His homegrown documentaries have been enjoyed by divers and naturalist for years. Farst enjoys spearfishing, treasure hunting, salvaging shipwrecks, but has to proclaim cenote exploration in the jungles of Yucatan as the highlight of his diving endeavors. Advanced Diver Magazine has not only given Farst the opportunity to see much of the planet that would not have been afforded him, but has .
Jon Bojar
Explorer
Short Bio.
Kim Smith
Explorer • Records Assistant
Kim Smith is the owner of Jetsam Technologies Ltd. and Kiss Manufacturing Ltd, designers and manufacturers of the KISS rebreather. Kim started openwater diving in 1990 and since has owned and operated a dive training facility. Kim has a business and securities industries degree background.
