Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Awards Shines Light on Young Caymanians

Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Awards Shines Light on Young Caymanians

The future of scuba diving in the Cayman Islands and the prospect of young Caymanians taking up the mantle in the currently foreign dominated marketplace is looking more and more palpable. That was the message one took away from Friday night’s International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, 2019 Induction Ceremony.

With attendees from a broad cross section of Cayman’s social demographic represented at the gala, five young Caymanians were recognized for their efforts in the area of diving

The young men are all part of a special group, who received the Bob Soto Scholarship, which is a program that identifies promising young Caymanians who express an interest in the diving as a profession and trains them to become Dive Masters and ultimately instructors

The pas two recipients of the scholarship - Rickeem Lashley and Joshua Weaver had the distinct honor of announcing this year’s awardees - Kameron D’Hue and Shaun Jackson
With attendees from a broad cross section of Cayman’s social demographic represented at the gala, five young Caymanians were recognized for their efforts in the area of diving.

The young men are all part of a special group, who received the Bob Soto Scholarship, which is a program that identifies promising young Caymanians who express an interest in the diving as a profession and trains them to become Dive Masters and ultimately instructors.

The pas two recipients of the scholarship - Rickeem Lashley and Joshua Weaver had the distinct honor of announcing this year’s awardees - Kameron D’Hue and Shaun Jackson.

Suzy Soto (Wife of the late Bob Soto) gushed with pride as the young men received the hounor noting, “These young men come from a rich seafaring background and their grandparents were seafaring people”.

As part of the program, over the next six months, the young men will be getting their accreditation and going through various levels of training; after which time they will be assisting in replanting the reef around Grand Cayman and further the Cayman Islands. The program is paid for by Bob Sotos in conjunction with Red Sail Sports.

Eco Divers - The company providing and facilitating the young men’s training - has partnered with The Cayman Islands Department of Environment and other local dive operations to bring coral restoration to the Cayman Islands.

Our team has worked closely with Seas of Change, The Central Caribbean Marine Institute and the Coral Restoration Foundation to develop a thoughtful and detailed process to collect, develop, and replant our local reefs.

Aaron Hart of Eco Divers noted, “We actively seek out Caymanians for this programme. When I came here ten years ago there were no Caymanians in the Dive industry… None!

“Now we have a program put together around protecting the reef while training these young Caymanians to be a part of one of the biggest industries in the Cayman Islands.”

Mr. Hart also revealed that according to official numbers, the Caribbean has lost 95 percent of its coral reefs.

“In the Cayman Islands it’s about 80 percent,” he explained.

During his remarks at the event, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell did not mention the controversial port project being proposed by the government which would see much of George Town’s coral reef disturbed.

In his remarks, The Minister lauded the awards as being a special part of Grand Cayman’s splendor as a dive destination and noted that he hoped to see a permanent home here for the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame such as a scuba diving museum.

The Minister also congratulated this years Hall of Fame Inductees whom included Dr. Mohamed Taher (Egypt); Jonathan Bird (USA); Hussain ‘Sendi’ Rasheed (Republic of Maldives); Lee Selisky (USA); Fenimore Johnson Early Pioneer (USA)

“This year’s inductees into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame family represent the best in the industry. Their contributions and dedication to the industry close match the mission of the ISDHF - which is to recognize those who have contributed to the success and growth of recreational scuba diving….”

Other honorees included Caymanians Dr, Carrie Manfrinoe, Dr. Croy McCoy, Steven Tippets and Emerging Caymanian Nakai Coni, a young Caymanian, who is a true ambassador of the Cayman Islands, snorkeling and diving Grand Cayman’s waters as a child. He became a certified Dive Master and dive instructor in 2012 and his since introduced numerous people to scuba diving.

As a dive guide, he has led hundreds of dives showcasing Grand Cayman. Nakai has also experienced diving in the British Virgin Islands and Scuba diving with Tiger Sharks and Hammerheads in the Bahamas.

At only 26 years old, this young Caymanian is a Certified Ocean Yacht Master Boat Captain and has navigated boats arose the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×