Select a Trip Log

British Virgin Islands - 2021, Session 1

Staff Update: Day 1

Location: West End, Tortola

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Summer is here. We are so excited about the three-week-long adventure that is about to begin. For the past two weeks, the entire Action Quest staff has been working tirelessly to prepare the fleet for the upcoming session. Aqua Marine, our home for the next few weeks, has been stuffed to the gills with food, water, and fuel in preparation for our students’ arrival. We’re keen to start teaching diving and sailing to our 12 shipmates, who will be participating in the Neptune program. We cannot express how stoked we are to sail away on our next adventure with a whole new group of incredible students!

Here is an introduction to the crew of Aqua Marine:

Cate - Skipper / Dive Instructor

Cate first went sailing aged 3 weeks old and hasn’t looked back. Since then, she has sailed over 10,000 nautical miles, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and worked 3 summers as a flotilla skipper. She also started scuba diving at a young age, getting her open water at age 11, and then 14 years later becoming a scuba instructor in Thailand, where she took part in a coral restoration program. Cate is passionate about marine conservation, and when she isn’t on the water, she enjoys skiing, snowboarding, hiking, horse riding, and cooking.

Ella - Divemaster / Mate / WFR

Ella was raised in Savage, MN. She joined ActionQuest as a shipmate in 2015 and returned for 3 more summers. During the school year, she attends Bentley University in Boston, where she is working towards a Bachelor of Science in Economics – Finance and double minoring in French and Spanish. Growing up, she spent her summers on a remote island in Canada, which sparked her love of the water and sailing. When she is not scuba diving, she enjoys skiing, swimming, and watching sports. Ella is a PADI Divemaster and Wilderness First Responder. This is her second year working with ActionQuest, and she couldn’t be more excited for the summer ahead!

Alessandro - Mate / Dive Instructor / WFR

Alessandro got his open water diver certification in 2016 and fell in love immediately. After his first summer at AQ, he was totally hooked! He couldn’t get enough. But as the school year dragged on, it became harder for him to dive, and slowly that love faded away. It wasn’t until he joined AQ again that following summer that he rediscovered his passion again. Although, as he rediscovered my passion, he realized something for the first time- diving can be more than just a hobby, more than just a summer activity. Since then, he has been working towards his instructor’s license. Now, finally, he will be able to do what he’s wanted to do for so long- teach scuba diving! Teaching students at AQ will be his first time, and he is so stoked! There is nowhere he’d rather do it!