What inspired you to work for Caribbean Reef Buddy?
I created Caribbean Reef Buddy with my partner as we wanted an opportunity to share what we love about this tiny corner of the world. The Caribbean Sea is under threat from a great many angles, and as the Blue Planet series highlighted, creating awareness is a very powerful tool. So in support of this initiative we're creating ongoing awareness, whilst doing our little bit to protect and develop the reef ecosystem here in Carriacou.
Describe a typical day at work.
For half of the week I am stuck in the office responding to emails or making the logistics for the operation work. The other half the week I'm out on the boat by 9 am with volunteers and clients and we're diving! We might be just having some fun, or we might be training. I teach everything from Open Water to technical diving, as well as the conservation activities too.
Each week I look forward to being able to head out to the coral nursery and see our babies growing. Like any baby, they need a lot of nurturing when they're young, but when we see the results in our outplant sites, it becomes very very rewarding.
Why do you do what you do?
There is a very simple answer, I love what I do! I'm fortunate enough to have found a role that I really enjoy and it provides me with the lifestyle I want. Each day I seize the opportunities of the day. It helps when the environment is so beautiful!
The biggest thrill I get each day is seeing the smiling faces of new divers who get to see what we see every day. I love being able to pass on my knowledge and understanding while watching people develop, learn, and improve.
Paddle on. This is me enjoying some fun while on the stunningly beautiful Baby Blue.
What is your favorite part of your job?
It's the people's side of things that is my favorite part of my job. I'm naturally an introvert, but enjoy social situations. Being here with Caribbean Reef Buddy means I get the opportunity to meet lots of new people all the time, most of which are really cool and we get to hang out and talk about diving, travel, and living life on a tiny tropical island.
On top of that, it's seeing that we are slowly making a difference! I love to dive over at Jack-a-dan island, where the reef over the past five years has really started to recover. I love seeing the schools of parrot fish there now.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I'm not a marine biologist, but I have a few of those around me. I am a professional educator and have a wealth of real world experiences that help me shape how we convey a message.
I'm also a pragmatist, and so stay away from the idealized view of how things "should" work and dig deep into the weeds of how they "do" or "don't work" instead. I focus attention on the competing elements of life which means things may not work as we might want them to. Being able to get this across to particularly young people is critical to being able to develop workable new ideas.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
People don't like change and we see that all across the globe and in all walks of life. However, the only real constant in life is change. The biggest challenge we face on a daily basis is resistance to change, whether that be a process or a safety requirement or an abstract idea.
Being able to understand the reasons why someone does something a particular way and to work with them to appreciate a different perspective either enlightens them or me. Either way, we move forward and win.
Group selfie time! This was a special lunch done Caribbean style. It was delicious!
What are some current projects you are working on?
Our newest project is in the area of coral propagation. We're working on micro-fragmenting and growing hard/boulder corals. These were hit hard by the bout of SCTLD which came through the region in 2021, and so I'm excited to see how this methodology might help us to help the reef recover. On top of this I work closely with those participants interested in professional dive training and experiences.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Get out and travel! Don't leave it too late and don't think of it as a waste of money. By broadening your perspective by seeing different parts of the world you'll get a better understanding of what we can achieve if we put our minds to it.
Also, you will see what options exist out there for a way of living which is different from the way our parents may have lived. I've never worked as hard in my life as I do now, but my rewards are my happiness as I'm getting to live the best version of my life!
What makes Caribbean Reef Buddy special?
We're small, tactical, and we're very much focused on the learning aspects. We don't have grandiose ideas of changing the world from Carriacou. Our vision is to create a better understanding and awareness within each person we encounter, and for them to share their experiences. This way the message is personal, is real and the response is more genuine.
Coral babies! 10/10 recommend swimming in the ocean to see everything up close.
Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?
Because we're small and will always strive to remain small, we're able to be nimble and to work closely with our volunteers and clients. We make sure they have the best experience they can. We work closely with accommodation providers and with excellent dive operations, so we can be sure you're safe and well looked after all throughout your stay.
Our accommodation is in a small hotel, which means you're not required to cook and your bedding gets changed for you. We use a PADI 5 Star/SSI Diamond dive operation that ensures the boat and the equipment are in tip top shape. We use experienced instructors who are able to provide best in class training. More importantly, we practice what we preach, and live here year round doing that.
What hopes do you have for the future for Caribbean Reef Buddy?
I hope that we can continue to offer the same small, bespoke training services to people young and old who want to learn something more about the ocean and how we can monitor and protect it. I'd like to be a regional hub for information and understanding of the techniques which can be used here which work, and which can be replicated again and again.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
To be regarded as a regional center of excellence for the education of practical coral propagation and to be considered to be making a positive difference. We'll do this each day by continuing to strive to teach about the corals we love. Also, by continuing to outplant as many healthy coral fragments as we can.
No big deal, just going scuba diving. It's a daily dose of what we do. It's great!
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
The main thing I hope that people can take away from a program like ours is the understanding that we can all make a difference. The old saying is that from small acorns mighty oaks grow, and it's through our understanding of the importance to our way of life the oceans play, then we will start to increase the spotlight on what needs to be done.
I can't change the world. You can't change the world. But together WE might have a chance to effect change, which could go someway to changing the world.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
We can get stuck in our own homes and in our own lives believing there is only one path and one potential future. Being able to travel will broaden your perspective and give you some rich experiences you can use to make better decisions about the path you might want to take in the future.
Experiencing the difficulties other people face around the world and how they overcome these difficulties can make us appreciate the lives that we all live. We can see how fortunate we are to have the opportunities we have.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Travel is nice, going on vacation is nice, but what do you see when you go on vacation? You get to see a resort or a city, some tourist attractions and buy some souvenirs too. When you come home, it's back to what you were doing before.
Meaningful travel is more about your headspace. It’s more about how your travel is used as an opportunity to challenge your perspective and gain a better understanding of how things are, as opposed to how you believe they should be. Coming back from meaningful travel typically results in you thinking about how you can improve, how you can develop, and where you'll go next.
