Surprise

The crew of Surprise is so excited to start our third and final session of the summer. After two great sessions, I have a feeling that this one is going to be fantastic. We are so pumped to meet our new crew who will make this one different and unforgettable. We may be sailing to the same islands and diving the same sites, but as always, it is our students who make each trip special. We've restocked the goldfish, scrubbed the decks, and rinsed the dive gear and cannot wait to see what surprises are in store!

Here's an introduction to the crew of Surprise:

Marina: skipper/WFR

Growing up in Sarasota, FL, Marina's passion for the ocean began at a young age. She joined AQ in 2006 as a shipmate on the Dolphin voyage and continued on completing two Atlantic crossings aboard Argo with Sea|mester. Marina graduated from Florida State University in 2013 with a B.S. in Biology. She holds PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, AAUS Scientific diver, WFR and STCW-95 certifications, and has interned at Mote Marine and Pritzker Marine Research laboratories. Marina has worked with AQ since 2011 and is now the director of the Marine Science program.

Alisa: dive instructor/mate

Alisa was raised in North Florida and has never been far from the water. She has been diving since she was 16, and her passion for scuba and the undersea world has only increased over the years. Alisa studied Ecotourism in college and became a PADI scuba instructor in 2014, and has been instructing in the Dominican Republic for the last six months. She enjoys engaging with people and teaching and encouraging people to love the water, and it's inhabitants as much as she does! This is her first year working with ActionQuest, and she is more than excited to begin this new adventure.

Taylor: dive instructor/mate

Taylor grew up between the farmlands of Indiana and the islands of Washington. From an early age, Taylor had a passion for the ocean and diving. In high school, he worked as a naturalist and crew member aboard a whale watch boat and earned his PADI open water certificate. In the spring of 2015, Taylor graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a Certificate in Maritime Culture and Heritage from the University of Hawaii. During his time in college, Taylor worked at the University of Hawaii Diving Safety Office, where he taught the AAUS Scientific Diver Course, DAN First Aid Courses, and NAUI dive courses. Taylor's thesis project was on the hearing abilities and long-range communications of False Killer Whales. He also has worked on other projects with NOAA, National Geographic, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, and the Marine Mammal Research Program. Taylor was introduced to the Global Expeditions family as a student aboard Argo sailing from Singapore to Cape Town last fall, but that wasn't enough. Now Taylor is joining the ActionQuest family as staff for the first time this summer.