Latitude Living: Mathias Van Asch
Mathias Van Asch is the co-founder, guide, and expedition leader at Latitude Encounters. Originally from Belgium, he’s called Mexico his home for almost 10 years and loves sharing his passion for large-animal encounters with all our guests.
Although Latitude was born almost two years ago, it was only earlier this year that Mathias was able to join full-time as leader expedition, so if you haven’t had the chance to meet him on board yet, you can get to know him better below!
¿How long have you been working in/around the ocean? How did you get into this industry and make your way to Mexico?
I’ve been working in diving for 10 years. I used to be a teacher in Belgium and I wanted to leave Europe and have a different type of life. I always enjoyed teaching so teaching diving was a great change. I got offered a job at a dive center in southern Mexico to work in diving, and also learn to be a crocodile safety guide. That’s where I realized I loved being in the water with big animals.
¿How long have you been involved with Latitude?
Since the beginning! It has been a dream for Fer and myself for a very long time and I am so thrilled to see how we are growing and sharing our passion with so many people from around the globe.
What has been your most memorable marine encounter? And which is your favorite season for marine encounters?
The most memorable day was an amazing day in March when we were chumming and encountered a Mako and Smooth Hammerhead. Then, we received a call for Orcas. On this occasion they were very friendly and inquisitive. They were eating a dolphin, passing it between themselves, and even offering some to us! They would come up to the boat to interact with us, we spent five unforgettable hours with them that day. The beauty of Baja is that there is always something to see, every season has something to make it special. I’m just glad I get to experience them all year-round!
What’s your favorite marine animal?
It is impossible for me to just pick one animal! Such a difficult question. I will say that I have been fortunate to spend a lot of time in the water with crocodiles and it has been life-changing. They are such incredible and awe-inspiring animals.
What would you tell someone that hasn’t been underwater? Simple…get underwater, you’re missing out!
What is one of the main issues you see affecting marine wildlife and ocean health. Overfishing is huge and overwhelming on our planet. The issue expands more than people expect, as it’s not only about the amount of fish and bycatch caught massively throughout our oceans but also the number of ghost nets left behind and the huge impact it has on wildlife. We have witnessed entanglement from a variety of species and it really sad and also so frustrating.
For those that haven’t been able to go out on the water with you (yet!), what message would you like to leave for them? Come and join us for an adventure. it could be the nest adventure of you
