Instructor Andy

Hometown: Portland, Oregon USA

Why I started diving: My parents were divers before having children; I remember listening to their stories and looking at their equipment in the basement, always full of fascination. When I was around 12 years old, my parents took me for my first dive as a try dive with an instructor in Hawaii; I was hooked ever since.

What keeps me diving: It is an amazing opportunity to get to talk about my favorite hobby with others who are just as passionate or fascinated. Getting to see students change uncertainty and anxiety about diving into excitement and a passion for the new world they have begun to discover; their triumph in facing and overcoming the challenges of developing their dive skills is truly inspirational. I am continually amazed with how much I discover every dive, even if I have dived the same site and profile 100 times, I feel as though there is always more to explore and learn.

My favorite thing to do in Moalboal during my surface interval: Whenever I have the chance to explore the roads and paths in and around Moalboal I am not disappointed. The beautiful scenery is abundant and seemingly endless.

Some of my favorite creatures: There are too many to list, but here are a few that always make me smile…

Sea Squirt: Often overlooked these are members of the Ascidians, a group of around 3000 unique species and are relatives of the vertebrates. They start life as a tadpole larvae, eventually settling on a home and undergo a metamorphosis to what you see here. They are equally beautiful and fascinating to me.	Juvenile Yellow Box Fish: These poor swimmers always make me laugh, with their small fragile fins and uncoordinated frantic movements. I am always excited to see them or their close relatives.
Nudibranch: With somewhere around 6,000 species I haven’t even began to attempt to learn their names. However there are many sites and forums dedicating to their identification. For many divers the hunt for the nudibranch is equally exciting and challenging as trying to snap the perfect photo in exquisite detail.

Contact Andy via email at Andy@QuoVadisResort.com