Looking Back at 2008

We have to admit that the most unique project we participated on in 2008 was a featured spot on NBC’s Today Show in November. We had the pleasure of hosting their crew for an episode of a programming block called "The Ends of the Earth," part of NBC Universal's "Green Week," which raises awareness about climate change and endangered environments. The show was aired live from different locations throughout the country. Matt Lauer, host of the show, is not a certified SCUBA diver and we had the privilege of giving him his first ever Discover Scuba Diving experience. We did the confined water training at Banyan Bay Resort in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and one of the shows opened with him diving Hol Chan Marine Reserve under the careful supervision of our Instructor. We also took their crew out to the Blue Hole in Lighthouse Reef Atoll where we were joined by Fabien Cousteau, grandson of legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau who first explored the Blue Hole in 1972. After an early morning dive in the Blue Hole with Fabien and Matt the Today Show aired live from the Blue Hole.

Photo Credits: Left - Instructor Pablo Gorosica introduces SCUBA equipment to Matt Lauer for the NBC cameras. (Joel Parkey)

Right - Matt Lauer with our crew at the Blue Hole. (Romi Badillo)

SCUBA Instruction for the Summer

As the summer approaches we will be conducting more SCUBA Instruction to keep us cool during the hot months. Customized packages are always available. With 5 PADI Instructors on staff and several others on call along with a large fleet of dive boats we can handle any large number of students. An Open Water Course can be done in as little as 3 days while Open Water Referrals require only 2 days, Rescue Diver takes less than 5 days while Dive Master can be completed in less than 10 days. You can also choose to do a Dive Master Internship with Hugh Parkey's Belize DIve Connection logging your required dives in real time scenarios, conducting dive briefings, leading dives and assisting wioth students. If you are a non diver and not sure about giving it a shot you can participate in a half day Discover Scuba Diving Program and it will credit towards your certification if you wish to continue. Equipment is included in the Discover Scuba Diving class, Open Water Scuba Course, and the Open Water Referral.

Included in our calendar of activities for this summer are numerous courses to introduce Belizeans to the diving scene. We are in the process of finalizing dates for our annual PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Course for the YMCA. This is just one of the many charitable projects the Hugh Parkey’s Belize Adventures Group carries out every year to introduce the Belizean public to various marine activities available. In the past many Belizean children and teenagers have obtained SCUBA certifications through our collaboration with the YMCA in their summer programs. Also planned for this summer is our PADI Dive Master Course for locals interested in a career in the SCUBA Diving industry. Over the years we have certified several PADI Professionals who are active and productive in the tourism industry. To keep with the tradition the courses starting from Open Water will be offered to Belizeans at discount prices. An internship with Hugh Parkey’s Belize Dive Connection is also included in the course. The better part of the program is that we are looking for more staff and will hire candidates who excel in our courses provided other criteria is met including a valid tour guide license.

Photo credit: Instructors conducting confined water training in a protected part of the reef in front of Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure Lodge. (Tony Rath)