Scuba Diving Hall of Fame receives eight new honourees

By Christopher Tobutt

Eight new honourees were inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame on 28th September, at the Indigo Hotel. Its an incredibly prestigious and unique event, which holds the attention of the whole diving community around the world

It was a celebration of some of the most wonderful people on our planet – people who have dedicated their life to exploring, charting, filming and teaching others about the magical and mysterious other realm which covers two thirds of our globe, and yet most people never get a chance to visit. We know about it and experience it because of them, and they never get tired of warning us of the need to protect it. Vast though it is, it is also as fragile as it is strong, fearsome, and beautiful.

The awards were divided into two main sections – those living in the Cayman Islands – and those living in other countries. Since the earliest days, when visionary pioneer Bob Soto began the very first dive operation here in the 1950s, the Cayman Islands has been regarded as one of the jewels of the diving world.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Kenneth Bryan, said “This is an event that holds great significance to Cayman. Tonight, we are here to celebrate and honour pioneers, leaders and emerging talent whose dedication, passion, and innovation have profoundly impacted the world of scuba diving.

“They remind us of our responsibility to preserve and protect our marine environment, not only for now,  but for future generations to come.”

“As one of the world’s premier dive destinations, we are immensely proud of the role our islands have played in shaping the dive industry over the years. Our commitment to preserving our pristine marine environment remains unwavering, and we are dedicated to maintaining the Cayman Islands as a world-class location for divers, marine scientists, and conservationists alike.” 

ISDHF Chairman Steve Broadbelt said:

“We are fortunate to welcome back Dan Orr, a previous inductee, to be the keynote speaker. Dan is a legend in the industry, and his career is one we can all learn from. It was great to see how many nominations we received and I’m especially proud that we are recognising four local honourees. I encourage you all to take time to reflect on those you know in the industry who are making a difference and consider nominating them next year.”

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.

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.

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.. Over the years, many of Cayman Brac’s young people have been trained by her to dive the local reefs and walls.

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.

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 deckhand to being a captain and trainer at Nativway Watersports. He is a passionate advocate for Caymanian heritage and marine tourism.

In the International Section, there were four new inductees:

Claudio Guadabassi from Brazil is a visionary entrepreneur and diver who has significantly shaped the diving industry in Brazil. Starting his diving career at 16, he quickly became an instructor and later completed globally in freediving and spearfishing as part of the National Team. In 1971 Claudio founded Claumar Dive Center, one of South America’s oldest dive centres, which has trained generations of dive professionals.

Margo Peyton, driven by her passion for the ocean and family, founded Family Dive Adventures and Kids Sea Camp in 2000 to create family-friendly dive experiences. Since then, Kids Sea Camp has certified over 7,000 young divers, including those with special needs.

Enric Sala, from Spain, is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and dedicated conservationist, known for his work in raising global awareness about the importance of a healthy environment. After serving as a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he helped establish the Centre for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Sala returned to Spain in 2006 to take up a position in marine conservation ecology.

Since 1993, John Thet from Singapore has played a crucial role in promoting scuba diving and ocean conservation across Asia. Co-founding the world-renowned Asian Geographic Magazine.