Saleya

The past few days have been super busy as we’ve been getting ready for our final session of the summer! Today is officially the start of session 3, and Saleya has been packed full of food, dive gear, and everything we need for an action-packed 17 days of sailing, diving, and water sports. Below is a little bit more about us, the crew onboard Saleya:

Claire - Skipper
Claire grew up in Houston and had her first experience sailing during her gap year on a Seamester voyage from Darwin, Australia, to Cape Town, South Africa, on S/Y Argo. After an amazing semester, she decided to keep sailing and ended up staying in Cape Town to complete her Yachtmaster Ocean license. Claire is currently in the engineering school at the University of Virginia and is a member of their club sailing team. She’s super excited to have the opportunity to work at AQ this summer and help create a fantastic experience for all of her students.

James - Mate/EMT
James was born and raised in northern California, never living very far from an ocean. Through his time in California, James developed a love for all water sports, including sailing, surfing, swimming, water polo, rafting, wakeboarding, and diving. He found his true passion for sailing after a voyage onboard S/Y Argo from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean as a student with Seamester in the fall of 2018. During the school year, James is a student at Baylor University working towards his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In addition, James is also an EMT with about a year of experience on ambulances. James is very excited to be reuniting with GXG in the British Virgin Islands for a summer full of sailing, diving, watersports, and overall fun!

Hannah: Dive Instructor/Mate
Motto: “I am excited.”
Hannah started at ActionQuest as a shipmate in 2015. After three summers in the BVI, she went on to become a PADI instructor, with the goal of certifying her younger sister when she is old enough. Hannah’s love of the ocean has driven not only her passion for diving but also her interest in conservation and sustainable development. She just graduated (the day before coming down the BVI) from Cornell with her Master’s in Civil Engineering and also ran the scuba program at the school. When she is not diving, Hannah loves skiing, snowboarding, crocheting, reading, and surfing.

Cara: Dive Instructor/Mate
Cara grew up riding kangaroos in rural Australia, but these days she prefers riding on dive boats. She has spent the last 3+ years in Central America, working as an English teacher specializing in kids and teenagers, and as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor and a CPR/First Aid Instructor. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Science, Cara has been called a nerd for her love of fish ID and an extensive list of fun facts about whatever animal is close by. Most recently, living on a tropical island in Panamá, Cara also loves long rides to the beach, reading, surfing, and volunteering with a local NGO’s surf grommets program. Her proudest moment was being on a regatta-winning boat the first time she stepped foot on a sailboat.