Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Shark Whisperer’ is an undeniably poignant and provocative documentary delving deep into the modern world of conservation, where activism and public presence collide. Thus, it comes as no surprise that at the heart of this original production is none other than self-proclaimed scientist, model, marine preservationist, influencer, and author, Ocean Ramsey. The truth is, she has often been described as a polarizing lightning rod in the industry, owing to the way she goes about her mission, making us wonder more about her overall career.
What Does Ocean Ramsey Do?
It was in 1987 when Ocean Ramsey was born into a family of water lovers in wondrous O’ahu, Hawaii, only to primarily be raised alongside countless animals of all kinds in Tahiti. According to her own accounts, her grandfather was a sailor turned submarine captain, whereas her grandmother was a local native who swam off the south shore every day until her passing. So it was through them as well as their own individual experiences that her parents developed an innate passion for the ocean and its animals, which soon got passed down to her.
Ocean still remembers that while she felt a deep connection to all her pets as she was growing up as a quiet, empathetic, and sensitive kid, things changed the first time she saw a shark. She was not even a teenager when she was swimming off the shore on a calm, clear, crisp early morning and saw a shark directly beneath her, despite the fact that she was in less than 10 feet of water. In a split second, she decided to actually follow the predator as it glided away, only to find the entire experience majestic and mesmerising instead of scary, kind of like when she was with her horses.
This sparked a desire in Ocean to get to know these creatures more, especially as they were often deemed “monsters” in her community due to the tragic shark attacks that sometimes occurred. Therefore, she taught herself about their behavior, hierarchy, and overall significance for nature’s balance, which only intrigued her more once she graduated and evolved into a diving instructor. It was at this point that she decided to begin swimming with them to learn more, unaware it would lead her to her now-husband, Juan Oliphant, an underwater cameraman and fellow shark lover.
As per reports, Juan had essentially pioneered shark cage diving in O’ahu alongside a friend, so they formed an instant bond when they realized they defended the creatures in the same manner. That’s when they began collaborating by diving together with sharks in the hopes of learning more and developing a program focused on teaching people the reality about these ocean predators. They wanted to make it clear that while we humans need to take precautions to be safe from them, we also need to keep them safe from us – we have to stop needlessly harming or killing them.
That’s how Ocean launched her OneOceanDiving program, through which she educates people about her mission and vision while taking them swimming with sharks deep into the ocean as proof. As if that’s not enough, she also became a social media sensation by posting all about her experiences with these predators in question to showcase that they don’t really think of humans as prey. Furthermore, she has since taken all this information and compiled it into online courses as well as a book titled ‘What You Should Know About Sharks’ to raise more awareness about them. Her ultimate goal is to help ensure that the world can become a place where humans and sharks can live in harmony.
Ocean Ramsey’s Earnings and Net Worth
Considering Ocean has been actively working as a marine conservationist for over two decades, which has led to numerous business opportunities and considerable wealth. While precise income figures are unavailable, it’s clear her earnings come from a mix of her OneOceanDiving program, public activism, online courses, strong social media presence, merchandise, and her book.
From what we can tell, she charges $150 per person for a group dive, $105 for a tag-along, and $600 for a private dive with advanced safety divers. If she runs just 250 group dives per year with an average of 8 people per session, that alone could yield $300,000 annually. Adding occasional private dives—say 60 a year—brings in another $36,000. Her $1,500 private charter and $4,000 tiger shark program further boost revenue; even 50 bookings per year for each would total $275,000, making her total dive-related income likely in the $600,000+ range annually.
As for public appearances, it’s unclear if she charges directly, but sponsorships tied to these and her social media following generate income. With over 2 million Instagram followers and nearly 300k on TikTok, we estimate she averages 3 million views per month, or 36 million per year. On YouTube, with 120 million lifetime views, assuming $7 per 1,000 views, she may have earned around $840,000 to date.
Her merchandise—ranging from $40 to $200—likely sells well. If she moves 5,000 units yearly at an average of $80, she grosses $400,000, with around $120,000 profit assuming a 30% margin.
Taking all these into account, Ocean’s annual income works out to close to $1 million. If we extrapolate this income over 6-7 years, along with investments and expenses, we estimate Ocean Ramsey’s net worth is around $5 million.
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