Terry Maas, D.D.S.

Terry Maas studied marine biology as an undergraduate at the University of California. He also holds three advanced degrees; Doctor of Dental Science from University of the Pacific, Resident in Oral Surgery from the University of Southern California and Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

Terry Maas is a veteran free-diver. He started diving when he was 14 years old and has been free-diving steadily for the last 43 years. In his early years, Terry won the individual U.S. National Spearfishing championships 4 times. His team won 10 championships. In 1982, Terry’s interests turned to blue water hunting. For the next 10 years he captured 3 world records for spearing yellowfin and bluefin tuna. His 398-lb Pacific bluefin tuna record still stands. In 1995, Terry published his first book, "Blue Water Hunting and Free-diving". This book is richly illustrated with pictures and stories from Mexico. Several years later he published his second book on the subject of free-diving, "Free-dive".

Mr. Maas is also an accomplished videographer. His rare footage of wild yellowfin tuna taken at Socorro Island is displayed in two sections of the Monterey Bay Aquarium open water exhibit. He has produced two commercial videos, "The Joy of Freediving" and "Freediving Made Easy".

His 1992 video, "Bluewater Hunters" for PBS has been viewed by over 25 million people and has helped introduce the sport of bluewater spearfishing to the world. Terry Maas’ diving has been featured in such publications as Sports Illustrated, American Airlines magazine, The Miami Herald and the Los Angeles Times. He lectures nationally using his slides and video presentations to educate those interested in the adventure of bluewater hunting and marine resource conservation. Terry also documents the underwater world on still film and in magazine articles. His article documenting the natural history of manta rays was featured as the front-cover exhibit in Mexico Desconocido (July 2002). His articles and photographs have been featured in such US magazines as Sport Diver, Skin Diver, Scuba Times, Western Diver and California Diving News. Internationally, his articles appear in Sterne (Germany), Focus (Italy) and Australian Freediving and Spearfishing News.

While Terry remains an avid hunter, he is very selective in his take and is deeply concerned with conservation of the ocean’s bounty. He shares his underwater images of sea creatures captured in commercial poaching nets and on hooks with many environmental organizations. He is an active supporter of Sea Watch and in 2000 he was inducted as a fellow into the Explorers’ Club of New York.

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What's New at SeaWatch:

2023 SeaWatch Newsletter

We are continuing our 2023 efforts to fully protect the inshore reefs in Espíritu Santo National Park through modification of its Management Plan. The draft plan will be out soon for review and it's critical we apply more pressure for better protection.

Ever since Cabo Pulmo National Park was created 27 years ago there has not been another reef fish recovery in the Sea of Cortez. To that end, we are launching the second phase of our campaign with a multimedia public strategy modeled after the very successful effort to protect the whale sharks in the Bay of La Paz. Read On...

SeaWatch Dream Come True

Since September of 2021, when our attorneys first petitioned the government to create large no take zones around Espiritu Santo National Park to facilitate reef and reef fish recovery, we have been building a dream team. A year later we have that team and a plan in place that is doing exactly that. To see the problem and solution. Click to view this short video...

SeaWatch Recovery Plan Details

This project will be the first recovery project in the Gulf of California since Cabo Pulmo, 27 years ago. It will restore the marine biodiversity of Archipielago Espíritu Santo National Park to a high level of abundance and reef recovery through modification to the park’s management plan and the deployment of policy and conservation finance strategies. Read More...

SeaWatch Annual Raffle

Scott Hanson donated his popular 19" bronze limited edition sculpture "Smooth Sailing" that retails between $7,700 and $9,250 depending on the gallery. Buy one or more tickets here. But hurry as only 150 raffle tickets will be sold!.

Espíritu Santo National Park
Recovery Project

Unsustainable, unregulated and illegal fishing practices during the last 40 years have severely impacted the diversity and richness of the Gulf of California, once considered the “Aquarium of the World”.
This national sea, dotted with more than 800 islands, is an ecologically unique marine ecosystem, and these island coastlines are environments used by marine species to complete all or part of their life cycle Read More...

Creating the Next Cabo Pulmo
Fisheries Recovery in the Sea of Cortez

Where there are fish of any commercial value, fishing interests will find a way to take them.
In 2019 and 2020 with the legalization of fish traps in the Espiritu Santo National Park (banned in most other places 30 years ago) it became clear that where there are fish, fishing interests will find a way to take them. Read More...

Fish Traps Devastate Marine Environments

Watch this video to see the evidence of the devastation caused by fish traps on reefs and reef fish over time. These traps are legal in Mexico and tragically in Espiritu Santo National Park. To learn more about fish traps and see the devastation they cause Click Here...

Sea Lions and Fish Nets

This video shows the entanglement of sea lions in fish nets and fishing gear in the Sea of Cortez. "Is this what we want in the Espiritu Santo National Park?"

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