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
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×