International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Announces 2024 Local Honourees

The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) Board of Directors and the Cayman Islands Ministry and Department of Tourism have announced the 2024 Cayman Islands Honourees and 2024 Emerging Honouree. This year’s Cayman Islands Honourees include three long-serving individuals in the local scuba diving industry: the late Captain Ertis Ebanks, Barbara MacDowell, and Joanna Mikutowicz. Andrew Ebanks, an entrepreneurial and passionate Caymanian, is this year’s Emerging Honouree. All four will be recognised for their contributions to the diving and water sports industry in the Cayman Islands during the annual ISDHF Induction Ceremony on Saturday, 28 September 2024.

The late Captain Ebanks was a leading pioneer in the water sports industry as one of the first people to offer snorkelling tours to visitors in the early 1950s. Captain Ebanks was passionate about the sea from a young age teaching his peers to fish and later building and launching a 61-foot boat in West Bay. Outside of the water sports industry, he was one of the first to have a taxi service, a jeep rental business, sell real estate and establish the local boxing industry. Captain Ebanks was honoured by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in pioneering services in the Charter Fishing and Diving Industry on 2 January 1991; and was also honoured as an Early Pioneer in the tourism industry on National Heroes Day on 23 January 2017.

MacDowell, better known as “Barbie” to those in the industry, has been an instructor, boat captain and photo pro in Cayman Brac for more than 30 years. MacDowell started at Divi Dive Tiara and now works at Reef Divers at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort. She started diving at age 17 and gained experience in Lake Huron, the second largest of the Great Lakes in North America. Over the years, many of Cayman Brac’s young people have been trained by her to dive the local reefs and walls. Divers at Cayman Brac Beach Resort experience MacDowell’s enthusiasm and knowledge for diving as she guides them on their underwater adventures. She was honoured as the Cayman Islands Watersports Employee of the Year at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s (CITA) 2019 Cayman Stingray Tourism Awards.

Mikutowicz of Divetech, is a dedicated member of the Cayman Islands diving community. As a PADI Course Director and Normoxic CCR Supervisor she has issued over 1,800 certifications and logged more than 15,000 dives globally. Her start in the industry began in 1997 with her certification at Bob Soto’s Dive Center in Grand Cayman. Mikutowicz is an exemplary leader who is dedicated to training and employing Caymanians, investing in her team as well as championing marine conservation and raising funds for causes such as the Cayman Breast Cancer Foundation. Mikutowicz has worked on initiatives such as the Grouper Moon project and the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) response team. She hosts the annual PADI Women’s Dive Day, which in 2018/2019 broke the world record in the Divers Almanac for the longest underwater female human chain.

The Emerging Honouree category recognises young and upcoming Caymanians making significant contributions to the industry and was introduced in 2017. Andrew Ebanks is a third-generation seaman and continuing his family legacy in the Cayman Islands water sports industry. His start in the industry began in 2007, where he quickly advanced from deck hand to being a captain and trainer at Nativway Watersports. Ebanks is the founder of Islandlife Watersports, which he established at age 23 in 2013. Islandlife Watersports has received multiple Tripadvisor Certificates of Excellence due to Ebanks’ commitment to exceptional service. Ebanks is certified through the Maritime Training Certification and Training for Small Commercial License, which is a Captain’s license. He is a passionate advocate for Caymanian heritage and marine tourism, including mentoring youth and contributing to conservation efforts. Ebanks received the Rising Star award at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s (CITA) 2018 Cayman Stingray Tourism Awards.

“The Cayman Islands is fortunate to have dedicated and passionate people in our dive industry, the late Captain Ertis Ebanks, Barbara MacDowell, Joanna Mikutowicz and Andrew Ebanks are all a testament to this, and the islands have benefited from their contributions,” said Minister for Tourism & Ports, Hon. Kenneth Bryan. “Scuba diving is an integral part of our tourism industry and I hope that the community will come out to support this year’s Local Honourees at the ISDHF Induction Ceremony.”

The ISDHF Induction Ceremony and Gala Dinner will take place at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman on 28 September 2024. The public is invited and encouraged to attend to support the local and international diving community. Visit www.isdhf.com  to learn more and purchase tickets.