Staff Update Day One
Location: West End, Tortola
It's great to see the entire AQ fleet back on the dock in West End and ready for our new arrivals. That's about fifteen masts standing tall, each fitted with orange flags waving eagerly. Mahi Mahi has just finished a brilliant session, and after a good scrub, some clean sheets and food, she's in top shape for the next one. Captain Tor, Meghann, and I are extremely excited to welcome aboard our shipmates and get the adventure underway. We have a group consisting half of the dolphins "the budding marine scientists" and half of Neptunes "the scuba diver extraordinaire." The AQ staff have been preparing the vessels in West End for a few days, and we are all raring to go and make more ocean-going dreams come true.
Staff Bios:
Tor - skipper/dive instructor
Tor hails from the northern parts of California. She grew up traveling to Sweden every summer to visit family and friends. During these trips, she discovered her love of sailing out in the archipelago. During the fall of her junior year in college at the University of Oregon, she sailed with Sea|Mester aboard Argo from Australia to Thailand. After returning to the PNW, she graduated U of O with a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology in 2010. Tor rejoined the AQ team as staff in 2010 and has been working for the Global Expeditions Group since then as a Mate, Dive Instructor, Provisioner, and now as Skipper. She is certified as a PADI Open Water Instructor as well as an RYA 200 ton Yachtmaster.
Meghann - dive instructor/mate
Meghann grew up in Auburn Hills, MI, and is currently residing in Edgartown, MA. Between the Great Lakes and scuba diving in the ocean, she has never been far from the water. Meghann previously worked at an adventure summer camp in the Florida Keys, working her way up to Advanced Open Water through Divemaster, and in 2010, she became a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Meghann joined ActionQuest in 2011 and is an instructor for our Advanced Scuba Diving programs. Meghann is excited to move to Vermont after the summer with her fiance and their new puppy!
Mike - dive instructor/mate
Mike came to ActionQuest in 2008 as a student on the Dolphin voyage. He learned to dive in England, where he grew up, and while studying, he has worked up to the level of Scuba Instructor. Mike completed a biology degree at Oxford University, specializing in marine ecology and plans to continue with research. He is particularly interested in coral reef ecology, evolution, and conservation and has studied in the Caribbean. For the last two years, Mike has worked as a Scuba instructor and marine educator at water sports centers in Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and the Maldives and has also worked as a counselor for summer camps in the US.