Inspired by a dive trip to the Revillagigedo archipelago, indie band Animal Collective teamed up with Keep Shoes to help protect the pristine islands off Baja California from illegal fishing. Keep Shoes recently released a new line of footwear designed by the band, and profits from sales of the shoes benefit Socorro Island Conservation Fund, which preserves the Revillagigedo's marine habitat. Sport Diver spoke with band members and divers Brian "Geologist" Weitz and Josh "Deakin" Dibb to find out how they got involved with diving and why the Revillagigedos are worth saving.

Sport Diver: When and where did you two learn to dive?
Josh: I learned to dive off the coast of Morehead, North Carolina, in 1997. A family friend named Patrick Otto, who's a dive instructor down there, certified my mother and I at the same time. I dove sporadically from then until about 2006. At that point, Brian and I finally got around to diving together after years of saying we should. Our first big dive trip was at the end of an Animal Collective tour to Australia and New Zealand, when we went to Poor Knights Island in New Zealand. That was really the beginning of me really feeling committed to diving. It was also when I started to understand a lot of the problems facing our oceans.
Brian: I learned to dive in 1991 in the Philadelphia area. My father's family is from Savannah, Georgia, so I went down there every summer, and it's where I became obsessed with the ocean. My dad got certified with me, thinking it would be something we could do together, like golf. But when I was young, we only dove a couple times in a quarry. My dad and I did our first ocean dive when I was in college in Turks and Caicos. Sadly, my dad didn't enjoy the experience, so he no longer dives — and I never learned to play golf.

SD: How did the band end up in the Revillagigedos?
Josh: After our experience diving Poor Knights in 2006, Brian and I really wanted to do a live-aboard. Brian got a friend Drew Weiner to be the third in our little dive team, and the trip was amazing. We were on the Nautilus Explorer, which is a great boat with a great crew. That trip still ranks as one of my best dive experiences. The three of us really fell in love with the Revillagigedos. All of the diving on that trip was incredible, but probably the most memorable part was diving around a small rock called Roca Partida.
Brian: I initially considered the trip because I wanted to see a whale shark. In 2000, I spent weeks diving in Belize looking for whale sharks but never saw one. Revillagigedos came up in a Google search as a destination for whale sharks, but I actually got more excited about the mantas and hammerheads. There was a whale shark spotted at Roca Partida on our trip, but we were on the other side of the rock. I didn't care, though — the mantas were enough for me.

SD: There are many worthy ocean spots that need protection; why did you choose the Revillagigedos for this project?
Josh: The Nautilus is actively involved with the Mexican coast guard in helping police the local waters for illegal fishing. During our trip, the crew explained what was happening and what they were doing to help. This year, when we started talking about where we would funnel the money from our project with Keep Company, we discussed a few bigger organizations, but then Brian brought up the Revillagigedos. We both agreed it was better to support a small, local cause we had a relationship with. We also feel pretty confident our money would have a direct effect there, rather than being used for administrative expenses at a larger organization.
Brian: This was actually a very difficult decision for me, since I worked in ocean policy, and I'm familiar with many of the organizations and causes to support. In the end, the main reason for me was the personal connection. The Revillagigedos, and Roca Partida in particular, are some of my favorite places on Earth, and I'd never even heard of them before that Google search. In fact, most people I speak with haven't heard of the Revillagigedos. So this seemed like an opportunity to help protect them and provide some well-deserved publicity.

SD: Since Brian was an environmental biology major at Columbia, do you find any connection between your music and your dive experiences?
Brian: I'm not sure that diving directly influences my music, but the ocean certainly does. I received a masters in environmental policy, with a focus on marine conservation. That led me to a marine policy fellowship on Capitol Hill. There I worked on the issue of military sonar and its effect on sea life, and through that, I met some marine bioacousticians who played me some amazing underwater field recordings. These have made their way into Animal Collective's music for sure. They're all over our Strawberry Jam album and Water Curses EP.

SD: With a name like Animal Collective, we have to ask: If you two were sea creatures, what would you be?
JOSH: I'm gonna go with sea lions. I love diving with them, and they seem like they know how to have a good time.
BRIAN: I think a dolphin or an orca. Sharks are easily my favorite sea creature, but I don't think I'd enjoy being so serious all the time. Sharks are all business. Dolphins seem to have more of a "work hard/play hard" mentality. And I had an amazing eye-to-eye moment with a dolphin in the Revillagigedos. That was a highlight of my life so far for sure!