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British Virgin Islands - 2017, Session 3

Aoelus Staff Update - Day 1

Location: West End, Tortola

The final session of the summer is about to get underway, and the staff team of Aeolus is excited for her last adventure of the summer. Jay and Maddy, our dive instructors living onboard with us this session, are itching to splash our new students and spend some time beneath the waves. On the surface of the water, our sailing instructor and skipper Ian is excited to ply the waters of the Sir Francis Drake Channel and throw up all the canvas Aeolus will bear. It's been a beautiful summer so far with warm winds and sunny skies followed by cool nights under a blanket of stars. We are so excited about our Aeolusians to arrive and begin a new adventure here in the BVI.

Here is an introduction to the crew of Aeolus:

Ian- skipper/EMT

Ian has been a member of the GXG team since his first summer program in 2013. He studied Ocean Engineering at the University of Rhode Island and volunteered as an EMT on campus. Following his lovely graduation ceremony, he made his way down to the British Virgin Islands and had one of the greatest summers of his life.  From there, he returned home to Newton, Massachusetts and began working as an EMT for an ambulance service operating in the New England area. Over the next two years, Ian would return to the BVI for the summer program and then return home to work on ferries or as an EMT. In October of 2015, Ian began working for Team GXG full time and has spent the last two years working on Argo, Ocean Star, and AQ programs. He recently earned his offshore Master of Yachts 200-ton license and will be putting it to good use this season. Ian is most excited for the months to come: it's going to be a great summer!

 

Jay- dive instructor/mate

Jay was born and raised in Athens, GA where he grew up miles from the sea. Throughout his childhood, he was frightened of the ocean & what lay beneath the surface. That all changed in 2007 when he had the opportunity to get scuba certified. In 2012 he became a scuba instructor and had led trips to places like the Bahamas, Cozumel, and the Cayman Islands. He was a summer camp counselor for six years at the YMCA, where he had fun painting himself green for the kids. Jay graduated from the University of North Georgia with a Management degree, hoping to one day open a dive shop in the Caribbean. In his spare time, you'll find Jay hiking, camping, mincing garlic, and playing the didgeridoo. He is excited to get back on the water and share his passion for the underwater world with all the shipmates!

 

Maddy- dive instructor/mate

Maddy grew up in Toronto, Canada.  She now attends the University of British Columbia, where she studies applied biology with a focus on marine mammals. Despite her landlocked location, Maddy has loved the ocean and marine biology ever since she was a young girl and has been diving for as long as she can remember. She had had a fascination with marine mammals in particular ever since she visited family in South Africa when she was just five years old. Maddy is a qualified Open Water Scuba Instructor as well as a Wilderness First Responder. For several years she was a shipmate herself at ActionQuest and has developed a strong love and passion for the British Virgin Islands. When she is not scuba diving, she can be found skiing at Whistler in between classes or doing yoga with her friends.