Adonis

Here at AQ HQ in West End everything is a buzz. We have been working round the clock the last two days closing first session and starting second. In the interim period we added three new boats to the fleet bringing our flotilla to a totally of 17 sail boats and one motorboat affectionately known as Manic Compression. First session was amazing and we got ourselves fine tuned and ready to go again for another wonderful experience I know I don’t speak for myself when saying that we have all been waiting a year for that moment when we can leave the dock with our new shipmates and set out on one of the greatest adventures of our lives.

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in"
- John Muir

Here is an introduction to the crew of Adonis:

Marina: Skipper/Dive Instructor

Marina was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida and was previously a student at both ActionQuest and Sea|mester. Marina joined the ActionQuest team in 2011 as a dive instructor and scientist and has been with us every summer since. She studied biology at Florida State University while teaching diving in Florida's freshwater springs and teaching sailing for the university team. After graduating from FSU, Marina spent a year working as the research manager for an NGO in Cambodia before joining the Sea|mester team in the fall of 2014. Marina has recently finisher her MSc in biodiversity and conservation at the University of Southampton in the UK before returning to the sunnier lands ActionQuest and Sea|mester.

Taylor: Dive Instructor/Mate

Taylor is returning to ActionQuest for his second summer as a Dolphin instructor and scuba instructor. He received his degree in marine biology from the University of Hawaii, where he studied the communications of False Killer Whales and studied abroad with Sea|mester. Since last summer, Taylor has been working year round for ActionQuest at the home office in Florida, road tripping the East Coast visiting schools, and working on Ocean Star down in Antigua during her yard period. In his free time, Taylor likes to hike, camp, and play soccer. His favorite dive in the BVI is Mario Reef on Ginger Island and loves seeing octopi and squid on night dives.

Rachael: Dive Instructor/Mate

Rachael joined ActionQuest as a shipmate in 2008 and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean aboard S/Y Argo in 2012. It was through AQ that she developed her passion for scuba diving and sailing, and went on to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor in 2014. In December 2016, Rachael will graduate with a joint degree in Biology & Human Development/Family Studies and another degree in French from Auburn University in Alabama. Last year she took a semester to live and study in Cannes, France, where she ate a lot of cheese, and for two years, she competed as a member of the Auburn University Sailing Team. When Rachael isn't studying, sailing, or scuba diving, she’s singing! Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, and Disney's Epcot are just a few of the venues where Rachael has had the privilege of performing