Meet Sebastián Muñoz Vásquez

Sebastián Muñoz Vásquez is a Costa Rican civil engineer, environmental guardian, and ocean advocate whose life has been shaped by his deep love for water, from the rivers and coasts of his childhood to the depths of the sea he now explores as a dive professional.
 

Born into a humble family, Sebastián grew up surrounded by the richness of simplicity. His parents couldn’t offer luxuries, but they gave him something far more valuable, an unshakable appreciation for nature. While others reached the coast in a day, his family spent two traveling by bus to the ocean, where he first witnessed sea turtle hatchlings racing toward the waves. It was in those moments that his bond with the ocean was born. Much of his youth unfolded in Playa Sámara, where he spent endless hours swimming and exploring the coral enclosures before the open sea. He could spend nine hours a day in the water, sunburned, salt-soaked, and utterly happy. There, he fell in love with marine life and discovered the sense of belonging that only the sea could give him.

 

As he grew older, Sebastián’s relationship with the ocean deepened through movement, first skimboarding between Sámara and Carrillo, and later surfing daily. The sea became his sanctuary, his teacher, and his rhythm of life. But even then, he hadn’t yet realized how fragile this world was or how urgently it needed protecting.

After completing his degree in Civil Engineering, Sebastián moved to Huacas to work near Playa Potrero, balancing his career with his passion for surfing. It was there he began to witness the other side of progress,  large-scale developments consuming natural landscapes with little regard for ecological balance. That experience became a turning point.

 

He made the bold decision to leave behind conventional construction and dedicate his career to environmental protection through engineering. Accepting a position in a company specializing in wastewater treatment, Sebastián discovered a new calling: healing the planet through the design of systems that return clean, safe water to nature.

This awakening led him to found Ingeniería de las Aguas S.A. (INDLA), a company devoted to sustainable water management, sanitation, and environmental innovation. As a registered civil engineer (IC–25809), Sebastián has since led projects across Costa Rica in both public and private sectors, from the design and rehabilitation of wastewater treatment plants to the implementation of stormwater and water distribution systems. His technical precision is matched by his guiding belief that engineering and ecology must coexist in harmony.

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But life had another challenge in store. A severe accident damaged three cervical and two lumbar vertebrae, leaving him bedridden for nearly a year. Unable to surf again, Sebastián faced one of the most difficult stages of his life. Yet even in that hardship, the ocean called him back, this time, through diving. What began as therapy soon became a new purpose. As a certified DIVE Master, Sebastián found himself once again submerged in the world he loved, this time as a guardian rather than a rider of waves. He began volunteering and collaborating with major marine conservation organizations such as CREMA (Marine Conservation and Research Center), The Clean Wave, and One Hand, engaging in coral restoration, marine research, and environmental education.
 

He also co-founded Mantas Costa Rica, an initiative focused on the protection of manta rays and the creation of awareness about ocean conservation. Among his many creative contributions, one stands out, a massive hammerhead shark sculpture made entirely from recycled bottle caps, built in collaboration with One Hand, which became a symbol of awareness, sustainability, and hope.

 

Today, Sebastián lives in perfect balance between his two worlds. As an engineer, he designs systems that protect and purify the waters flowing through communities. As a diver, he works to heal the waters that cradle life beneath the surface. Together, these two callings form a single purpose: to ensure that every drop of water, whether in a pipe or an ocean current, is respected, protected, and returned to nature clean and alive. Through INDLA, Sebastián continues to integrate engineering, education, and environmental stewardship, inspiring others to care for the planet that sustains us all. His mission is clear and deeply personal: to share knowledge, ignite awareness, and remind new generations that our planet needs us now, and that the greatest luxury of all is to protect the world that gives us life.