THE TEAM
Alizee
I was born in Grand Turk and raised on Providenciales. Growing up, I was fascinated by the variety of sea-beaten landscapes the archipelago has to offer as well as its myriad ecology. I took part in the first Junior National Parks Warden program and became involved in the development of the Providenciales Environmental Center leading talks and activities for the continuation of the program in subsequent years. At the age of 15, I crossed the Atlantic to the UK where I completed the International Baccalaureate with a bilingual French diploma before completing a Masters of Arts with Honors in English Literature at The University of Edinburgh. I minored in Philosophy and Spanish and spent a year living in Barcelona where I consolidated my fluency in Spanish.
Returning home 2 years ago I began working as a Travel Agent/Tour Operator. Since then I have worked part-time as skipper on a 75ft mono-hull the Atabeyra, alongside working as a marine guide on the Undersea Explorer Semi-submarine where I had the chance to refresh my knowledge of the local ecology which I had acquired working with the National Parks and saw first-hand the level of destruction to the reefs caused by the increased development and specifically the dredging involved. I am passionate about protecting what is in essence the third largest reef in the world and as a result was drawn to working with Big Blue Unlimited's "eco-adventure" approach; not to mention I did my open water PADI course with them when I was 12!
Benjamin
Benjamin grew up on South Caicos and joined Big Blue in 2009, where he takes care of the Carolina Skiff. Born to a Turks Islander and Haitian parent, Benjamin is bilingual, speaking English and Creole. When Benjamin began working at Big Blue he could not swim. He has not only learned to swim, but also to snorkel, freedive, and has been certified as a PADI Open Water Diver. Benjamin's goal is to continue his training, ultimately becoming a Dive Instructor and boat captain. Becoming a surgeon is Ben's dream, and he is working hard to save money for tuition. In his spare time he likes to play basketball.
Brent
Brent is from Kew, North Caicos, known as the Garden Island. He has worked with Big Blue since 2007 and is the captain of Yes-I. Brent enjoys exploring his homeland as part of his work, sharing the Turks and Caicos with visitors, and believes spending time in nature is important to a healthy lifestyle. Brent's most memorable moments at Big Blue include swimming with dolphins, Humpback Whales, and Spotted Eagle Rays.
Brent's hobbies include billiards, basketball and American football. In the future he would like to become a Marine Engine Technician, and own his own ecotourism business.
Caldron
Caldron was born in Grand Turk and grew up in Kew, North Caicos. He joined Big Blue in July 2009 as the designated driver. Caldron used to work as a tour guide at the iguana sanctuary on Little Water Cay, and also as an agent for American Airlines. Caldron's dream is to one day become a pilot.
Cardi
Cardi was born in Bottle Creek, North Caicos and now lives on Providenciales with his wife and two kids, a boy and a girl. Cardi has worked for Big Blue part time since 2007 and joined as a full time staff member in 2009. He is the captain of Starfish.
Cardi is working towards becoming a pastry chef at the Turks and Caicos Hospitality Institute.
Chester
Chester came to Big Blue around Dec of 2008. He's a 36-year-old PADI Dive Instructor who grew up in the Philippines. He's been a certified diver since '95 and tried several jobs before deciding to pursue the career of a professional beach bum. He has been a Divemaster since '99 and an instructor since '01. Most of his 1500 dives had been in the Philippines up until he came to Provo in Dec of 2006. He initially worked as the Activities Supervisor for the Uber-exclusive Amanyara Hotel, taking care of the beach, gym and tennis court. But since all of this didn't involved putting on a tank, he decided not to renew his contract and went back to diving.
What he likes about Big Blue is the company's philosophy, which is being the custodians/guardians of the environment. He's impressed with the management's concern with mother-nature and educating our clientele. So at the end of the day our trips are more than just getting people underwater. The other thing he likes is that BB has a wide range of services to offer, from simple kayak tours to private charters, which enables him to maintain his enthusiasm.
"Dive We must... Dive We Shall... "
Chester Lee
Demitri
Demitri is from Kew, North Caicos and started working at Big Blue in October 2008. He is the boat captain of Rocking Time. Big Blue's only practicing Rastafarian, Demitri sports dreadlocks, has an Associates degree in the sciences, and aspirations of becoming an Emergency Room Surgeon.
During his time at Big Blue, Demitri has been certifies as a PADI Open Water Dive and enjoys learning about the aquatic environment and treating guests to a memorable time. Demitri is a musician, having learned to play the piano, guitar, and bass the same way he learned how to breathe air.
Jackie
Marine Biologist/Rescue Diver/CPR-First Aid
Jackie Walker is from Bolton, Ontario, Canada. She started at Big Blue Unlimited in the summer of 2008 after getting her Marine Biology degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Jackie thinks that the best part of living in the islands is spending the day on the ocean, snorkeling on the reef, diving the wall or cruising in a boat or a kayak. She loves coming across a pod of dolphins or a humpback whale while out on the water. Jackie looks forward to meeting you one day soon on a Big Blue adventure!
Lynn
PADI MSDT/Specialty Instructor/Re-Breather Diver/First Aid
Originally from East Yorkshire, England, learnt to scuba dive in the chillier waters around the UK before heading to warmer waters in Turkey to start her new career as a Scuba Diving Instructor with The European Diving Centre in Fethiye. She has been living in the Turks & Caicos Islands since November 2002 and has been a valued member of the Big Blue team since December 2004 working mainly as a dive instructor and boat captain. A passionate and conscientious diver, Lynn loves exploring the many reefs and walls around the islands looking for the larger pelagics but is more often found searching for the smaller and more unusual critters of the ocean with camera at the ready. A keen freediver with a personal best of 82ft, she is looking forward to improving her technique through the guidance of colleague Josie and is also looking forward to further her kiteboarding experience. Aside from diving she enjoys in particular the Extended Snorkel Adventure, taking in the reefs further afield around North West Point, French Cay and West Caicos and also enjoys visiting the very unspoilt and scenic island of Middle Caicos.
For Lynn, working at Big Blue with it's small group and eco-friendly approach is all about giving guests a fun, informative and educational experience with low impact on the environment, making new friends along the way and enjoying every moment of every day in a country as beautiful as the Turks and Caicos.
Mark
Master Scuba Diver Trainer/ Marine Scientist/ Boat Captain/ Cave Diver/ Rebreather-CCR and Trimix Diver/ First Aid
Mark is the co-founder of Big Blue Unlimited and has been integral to Big Blue's growth and reputation over the last 12 years. He hails from West Sussex in the UK and has been diving since 1988. He first came to the TCI in 1994 where he completed his divemaster together with Philip. He returned in 1996 and worked at the Caicos Conch Farm as an intern. His background in Marine Sciences was obtained from Bangor University, Wales.
Mark conducted Big Blue's very first EcoTour in 1997 on a 17 foot Boston Whaler and quickly realised that kayaks were the only way to go. Under his guidance, leadership and infectious enthusiasm our Eco Adventure programs have become a winner spread across the archipelago of the TCI.
Mark is also a very accomplished cave and technical diver and spearheaded the Caicos Caves project that resulted in him appropriately finding a new species to science. His ability has put him into the bottom of the deepest caves as well as being a key safety diver during Tanya Streeter's world records. Operating under pressure at over 300 feet is no problem for Mark.
Mark has a major passion for adventure, exploring and the intricacies of all things small, tiny and microscopic. Quite apart from being a keen kayaker, caver and scuba diver with over 3000+ dives, he is also an avid sailor with serious experience in regattas, an excellent freediver and part timer football player who has been known to dabble in kiteboarding from time to time.
Paul aka "Style"
Master Scuba Diver Trainer / Eanx / Rebreather certified- CCR / DAN O2 / First Aid/ Boat Captain
Having lived, worked and dived in Europe, The Red Sea and Indian Ocean, Paul arrived in TCI in 1994 with every intention of just visiting for a while. Thanks to world-class wall diving and friendly natives he found himself accidently staying for a while longer. Paul joined Big Blue Unlimited in Jan 2000 as dive instructor, boat captain and tour guide. Paul is one half of the "Style and Fashion" team that with Philip helped pioneer Big Blue's adventurous diving during the day while designing ads and websites by night. In 2007 he slid into the role of Maintenance Manager and is now in charge of ensuring Big Blue's fleet looks pretty and stays afloat. His outside interests include applying band-aids to knuckles and removing grease from pores. Paul is married with 2 "potcakes" and lives in "Veeland" down road "behind" glass shack.
Philip
IYA Class IV Skipper/ RYA 200 tonne skipper/ Scuba Instructor/ Rebreather Diver-CCR/ First Aid/ UW Photographer
Philip is the co-founder of Big Blue Unlimited. He has been coming to these islands since the early 70's and has had the fortune of seeing paradise untouched. His love for the ocean started before he could walk. Growing up in the water and on the boats his intimate knowledge of these islands has helped shape Big Blue. From West Sussex in the UK he started diving in '88 and has since amassed over 3000+ dives.
Graduating from Edinburgh University with Honors in Social Anthropology he then found himself back in the TCI to work for a while as a sailboat captain. Six weeks later in 1997 he founded Big Blue Unlimited with Mark naming the company in a tribute to the film and their shared addiction of freediving and unlimited adventure within the ocean.
While designing logos, ads and websites with Paul as part of the "Style and Fashion" team, Philip has also become a very accomplished under water photographer. The majority of images used in the last decade have been his.
His passion for freediving took a special twist when a good friend took him to the Silverbanks to swim with Humpback whales. With almost a decade of experience as guide and hundreds of close in water encounters Philip has brought the "soft in water" experience to Big Blue, the highlight coming in early 2001 with the freeing of a whale from fishing nets.
Philip is addicted boardsports. Windsurfing, kiteboarding and snowboarding are a passion. An accomplished freediver, swimmer and sailor and footballer. He loves the fact that "Big Blue continues to evolve while encouraging eco-consciousness without sacrificing the core concept to protect that which we ultimately love most".
Wes
Wes- Age 40
- Ventura , CA
- Sponsors- Cabrinha kites, Npx, JHR surfboards, MBS mountainboards, Murrays.com
- Professional all-terrain athelete and all-terrain boardsports instructor
- 2000 All Terrain Boarding World Champion
- Cover - Kiteboarding magazine sept 2005
- Cover - Blue Edge march 2008
- Black belt at age 11
- Writer/rider featured in Kiteboarding magazine, SBC kiteboarding and Kiteworld
- 30 + years experience in all aspects of the action sports industry
- Likes sipping cocoa on brisk fall evenings with a few snickerdoodle cookies to dunk
