How does a kid from Mechanicville, New York, a small town up-state between Albany & Saratoga, end up living on the Island of St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

O.K.- If you really want to know...

Like many people growing-up in the 60's & 70's , my first exposure to the marine environment was watching television shows like National Geographic Explorer & The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
I was intrigued by these shows, and dreams of diving with dolphins were just beginning.

At the age of 15, in our modest 5ft deep above-ground pool, I had an opportunity to use SCUBA equipment. . Breathing underwater for 5 min. and I felt like I belonged there.

In High School I realized that I had more aptitude with a camera than a football. I learned my art photographing sporting events and all the typical High School Year Book stuff.

In 1979 I took my first big step in my journey to St John. I moved from land-locked Upstate NY to Long Island, NY to attend Southampton College. Here I found myself with a large number of students also pursuing a future in Marine Biology.

In the spring of 1980 I got my Open Water certification in 54° water with less than 2 ft visibility off Montauk. In the words of my instructor, “when you learn to dive here you’ll be prepared to dive anywhere.”

On the very first day of 1981 I found myself on the Island of St. John. I, along with 11 other students and 3 professors, would be spending 3 weeks studying the tropical marine life around the shores of St John.
We were all quickly hypnotized by St. John’s beauty, and welcomed by its warm and friendly people. We made Coral Bay our home base and headed out every day to a different location to explore. This was also my first opportunity to try my hand at underwater photography. It was over quickly; the fancy zip-lock bag I bought leaked and drowned my only camera.
I had some other things on my mind too; when our travel study group was over, I planned on staying. You see, in April I was getting on the schooner “Harvey Gamage” in St Thomas to spend a semester at sea. So I thought why not just stay here for a few months, get a job and then set sail. Well that’s pretty much the way it went, and would prove to be a life altering experience for me.
I managed to purchase a new camera with help of my parents and the Januarys, a "Local" family. The Januarys were and still are the epitome of West Indian warmth and friendliness. They had one of very few working telephones in Coral Bay, and kindly offered it. I can still see Mr. George January laughing to his wife at my conversation with my parents; mostly me saying “Send Money”. George’s brother Guy Benjamin made it possible for me to stay until April by offering me his home while he was in NY City.

Stay Tuned.. if you want... the story continues...

 

Crossroads in Coral Bay, St. John ... 1981
Check-out all that hair!