La Bella Vita

The crew of La Bella Vita is getting excited about our new crew of shipmates stepping on board. Shona, Hannah and Mike have been working hard preparing everything a board. All of our PFDs are counted, bunks are made, food is stowed, and the lines are coiled. Our home for the next 17 days is shipshape and we cannot wait for the twelve new shipmates to arrive to complete our Bella family. All the staff are so excited and will be waiting patiently to see the first ferry carrying shipmates to show up in the horizon. We can't wait to show all of you the beautiful surroundings that we will be learning to sail and scuba dive in for the next 17 days!

Here is an introduction to the crew of Bella Vita:

Shona- skipper/EMT

Shona is returning for her third Summer with ActionQuest, but is more excited than ever to return to her second family and the amazing waters of the British Virgin Islands. She has recently completed her Offshore Yachtmasters and Wilderness EMT, so will be filling two roles as a skipper and medical team this year. She graduated in 2013 with a degree in outdoor education and geography.  Since then she has worked in several locations across Europe applying these skills to promote learning through experiential education. From a young age she has had a love for the outdoor and all sports, whether that be sailing and kayaking in the summer or snowboarding and mountaineering in the winter. Her goal is to inspire and educate  her students in a fun safe learning environment.

Mike- dive instructor/mate

Mike is from Newton, Massachusetts, and developed his love for the ocean during summer on Cape Cod as a kid. He became scuba certified in Gloucester, MA, where he realized exactly how cold the water in New England could get. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in Marine Biology, during which he got his Rescue certification while studying abroad in Bonaire, and discovered the joy of warm water diving. Mike worked as a teacher's aide in his hometown of Newton for two years after graduating, after which he traveled to Utila, Honduras to get his divemaster and instructor certifications. When he is at home, he plays Ultimate frisbee in his free time, as well as canoeing in the Charles River. 

Hannah- dive instructor/mate

Hannah was born and raised in Oakville, Ontario minutes from Lake Ontario. Hannah has always loved the water and was a high performance swimmer for eight years. Hannah completed her dive instructor training in Vancouver, British Columbia while attending The University of British Columbia for a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and Biology. This is Hannahs second summer working as a part of the GXG Staff family and is looking forward to the amazing experiences to come this summer. In her free time Hannah enjoys training for half marathons, baking, hiking, canoeing, camping, mountain climbing, and spending time outside. Hannah has traveled from a very young age, and at 11 was the youngest female to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, then Mount Rainier four years later.