Mark Tilley had only been in the Cayman Islands for three months when he received the award as Rising Star in Tourism at the 2011 Stingray Bash.
“It was a shock to be nominated and it was nice because it came from my peers. On the night, once we arrived for the gala the scale of it dawned on me. There was a lot of people there, important people, McKeeva Bush and dignitaries from around the island. It was a really good experience to see representation from all different sides of the industry and was very enjoyable,” said Mr. Tilley, a dive instructor for Ocean Frontiers.
“We teach courses, guide dives, fill tanks, drive boats, it’s a really varied job and I enjoy it because you are not doing the same thing over and over again – there is lots of variety.” The award winner has a background in marine biology, which he studied at Swansea University, Wales, before his passion took him further afield.
“I went to Seychelles in 2007 to do a marine course, which is where I learned to dive and then I went to Malaysia to work for six months, gaining more dive qualifications before spending a year as a marine scientist in the Bahamas teaching people to do coral surveys.
“It was very much a marine conservation mindset, which is one of the things that attracted me to the dive shop here; in terms of eco procedures we are Green Globe certified, re-use energy and push care in the way people dive,” he explained.
Funding the dream
He said a lot of people come to diving after being in an office job, but that his own journey involved working in an office to save up money to fund his dream.
“It’s definitely been worth it; the first job I applied for was Ocean Frontiers and I absolutely love every minute of being on the island. I go freediving on my weekends off and the waters around here are perfect,” said the Reading-born diver.
His career path, he said, may have been set at a very early age.
“I have always been interested in the sea and used to have beach holidays, rockpooling down in Cornwall where my granny lived. The opportunities in Cayman are pretty vast, broader and higher in number than you’d get in other countries. The lifestyle, the job ticks all the boxes. It is a great choice for anyone to come to work, to learn and gain experience.
“I am definitely going to broaden my CV, try and learn and get as much experience as I can not just in diving but boating, activities and meeting people. I will never be able to work away from the water but long-term my passion is marine life and I really enjoy teaching people about it so one day I want to give back.”
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