Select a Trip Log

British Virgin Islands - 2017, Session 1

Luna Kahuna Staff Update Day 1

Location: West End, Tortola

The crew of Luna Kahuna has been busy awaiting the arrival of shipmates. The air compressor is on board, all of the scuba tanks and program gear is on board, and we've prepared the whole boat to be ready for today! We are all incredibly excited to welcome 13 new members to our boat family. We can’t wait to share an incredible 3 weeks with all of our crew.
Here is an introduction to the crew of Luna Kahuna:
Matt- skipper/dive instructor/MPIC
Matt was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida. Matt joined the GXG team in the summer of 2014 as a dive instructor and has worked here every summer since then. After acquiring other certifications, Matt works as a skipper, dive instructor and member of the medical team. He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with AQ on S/Y Argo in 2012, and sailed across the Indian Ocean with Seamester on Argo in 2014. He will be graduating next year from Florida Gulf Coast University with a major in Criminal Justice and minor in Computer Science. When he is not in school or working he spends his time pursuing a variety of hobbies, including woodworking, surfing, and building computers.
Elle- dive instructor/mate
Participating in an ActionQuest program in 2012 inspired Elle to pursue her passion for diving and a determination to share her enthusiasm for the marine environment with others. She spent her gap year pursuing her passion of diving, qualifying as an Open Water and EFR Instructor and working in Thailand before moving to Mauritius to teach and explore the wonders of the Indian Ocean. Elle is currently studying a BSc in International Business Management at Cardiff University and returns to Thailand each summer vacation to continue teaching. She is now a PADI Master Scuba Diver with 7 specialty instructor qualifications. When not under the water or studying, Elle is a keen netball player, playing on the university’s 1st team and has a love of dance, having studied ballet, tap and modern to advanced levels since beginning at age 3.
Lucy- dive instructor/mate
Lucy’s mission is to educate others about marine science and SCUBA diving and spread the word about conservation. This has led her through a Masters degree in Marine Biology at the University of Southampton (U.K.) and to dive around the world. It does not matter where she dives; Lucy is always fascinated in learning species and habitat identification. By volunteering and working with various different governments and institutes, Lucy has built specialisms in both temperate and tropical marine research, specializing in habitat mapping with GIS. Lucy currently works seasonally at her new activities center in the Seychelles where her roles include: business manager, head instructor (PADI MSDT), resident marine biologist and skipper. Island life has become something of a norm to Lucy, who enjoys its proximity to the natural world. Where possible she does travel with an electric keyboard to keep her piano skills afresh. Whilst back in civilization you will often find Lucy on the netball court or the swing jive dance floor making up for lost moves!