Orka Tew

After wrapping up a great second session, we are all excited to get going on an equally awesome third one! We have spent the past few days working to turn the boats over and prep for a whole new crew of shipmates to step onboard. We can’t wait to get started on a packed session of teaching advanced diving, specialty certifications, marine bio, and sailing. Beyond all the cool program stuff we have planned, we’re most excited to get to know everyone on board and turn what will start as a group of strangers, into a small boat family! We have students arriving from all over, and we can’t wait to get started and cast lines from the dock!

Here is an introduction to the crew on Orka Tew:

Jon: Skipper/Divemaster

Growing up on the ocean with his three brothers in Australia, Jon’s father taught his boys to swim by throwing them off the back of the boat! This jump in and learn attitude gave Jon a love for the ocean and an appreciation for everything in it and led to him becoming a Divemaster and boat captain. Jon spends his days in the Whitsunday Islands, taking people spearfishing, diving, and sailing. He is escaping the Australian winter to join the ActionQuest team this summer and is looking forward to teaching diving and sailing on the other side of the world.

Izzy: Dive Instructor/Marine Scientist

Isabel (or Izzy) is a PADI Scuba Instructor and Marine Scientist hailing from Canada. This is Isabel’s second year on the AQ staff team. She has been a dive instructor for four years and has her BSc in Marine Biology and Philosophy at Dalhousie University. She is especially interested in marine conservation and understanding our connection with the ocean- and is enthusiastic about sharing this passion with shipmates. Out of the water, Isabel loves hiking, biking, and anything that involves being outside. She is also always on the lookout for the best-named boat.

Mara: Dive Instructor/Mate

Mara grew up in New York City and first came to ActionQuest in 2013 as a new shipmate eager to learn sailing and diving for the first time. After four summers sailing as a student, she was completely hooked and went on to become a staff member. She recently took a gap year from college to sail with Seamester aboard S/Y Argo, crossing the Indian Ocean from Australia to South Africa, and traveling to get her PADI scuba instructor certification. She loves everything to do with the ocean and travel and could not possibly be more excited to work for the program that was so formative for her as a teenager. When not spending her summers at ActionQuest, Mara is a student at Holy Cross University.