OCEAN QUEST ADVENTURES STAFF

What started in 1992 as a hobby for Rick quickly developed into a passion, and then a full-blown business. At first, when Rick was diving simply to enjoy the wonderful and unique marine life (as well as to indulge in some mussels and scallops) located off the coast of Newfoundland, it was just something he did when he had the time.

However, soon after diving to the Bell Island shipwrecks, the time he spent in the water increased more and more. Due to his own excitement for the wrecks, Rick soon decided that the world needed to discover them. Thus, Ocean Quest was founded.
With just one boat, Rick undertook a rigorous Scuba training schedule to graduate from basic diver to instructor, ensured that his operation complied with CCG and TC regulations, and began to show people the beauty that lay beneath the waves near his home.

Now, Rick operates Ocean Quest as a qualified Rebreather Diver, Full Cave Diver, Advanced Nitrox and Deco certification, and has over 400 dives on the Bell Island shipwrecks alone. Together with his team, he oversees the provision of tours, recreational and commercial diving sales and services, educational offerings, and a number of other services across the province.

Along with Ocean Quest, Rick also helped to start Ocean Net, a conservation group dedicated to educating people about the importance of our marine environment. Through this group, Rick is steward of an area that includes the Bell Island shipwrecks, and he continues to ensure that the actions of Ocean Quest are in harmony with the environment that he has loved for as long as he can remember.

In 1994, Debbie started her love with diving. Since then, she has completed her Assistant Instructor certification, as well as her full cave certification, and gone on to be the Co-Owner of Ocean Quest with Rick Stanley. Along with these certifications, Debbie has also completed her SVOP, MED A2, and a first aid marine course. She was also the first women diver to explore the underwater mines on Bell Island.

Coupled with her diving training and experience, Debbie also has an extensive background in working with various film groups. From working with the videographers who filmed the MUR Subs on their descent to the Titanic to working with Didier Noirot, a videographer from Europe, on his documentaries on diving with humpback whales, Debbie has seen a lot.

When she’s not diving, Debbie loves to cross-country ski, zipline, hike, and enjoy a number of other water sports.

John Olivero is a professional adventurer who leads cultural history, diving, and ecotourism trips that introduce visitors to outdoor adventures in Newfoundland. He is a diving instructor and cave diver, boat captain, expedition safety specialist, outdoor guide and cultural historian. He leads visitors on ocean based eco-tours while describing and even singing about Newfoundland’s unique culture. John Olivero has served as a safety specialist, diver and camera operator supporting numerous television specials and scientific expeditions in Newfoundland including the 2016 Royal Canadian Geographic expedition of the year,  MineQuest, exploring the Bell Island Mines.

Why does he do all this? Yes it is fun, of course. Also to fulfill his number one  goal in life….

“Help people enjoy their lives MORE!”

For over forty years, Gerry has been involved in the dive industry in some capacity. Ever since his father was a commercial diver in the 1960s, he has had an interest in the profession.

He was first certified as a PADI diver in the 1990s in New Zealand, where he was working with an exchange during his time in the Royal Canadian Navy as a Marine Engineer. From there, Gerry spent the last twelve years of his thirty year career with the Royal Canadian Navy helping out at the Abyss Diving Suits shop in his spare time.

Now working with us, Gerry has obtained a number of other certifications in most common regulators, PSI tank inspection, and expert level Bauer Air Compressor maintenance.

Mark is a PADI Master Instructor and EFR Instructor. He also holds instructor ratings with TDI and SDI. His professional member rating allows him to deliver 23 different PADI specialty diver courses. For the past five years; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017, he has been a recipient of a PADI Elite Instructor Designation. In his real life he was a member of the RCMP before retiring after a 36 year career that saw him serving in Canada and abroad. Mark has dabbled as a diving instructor for better than 16 years. And yes, he does get some time to dive for the sake of diving. He proclaims the world-class Bell Island shipwrecks, right here in Newfoundland and Labrador, are among his favourite dives. His opinion is solidly based upon his own dive experience for he has only three more continents, Antarctica, Africa and Australia, to dive before he has dived the world. And while he has not dived in the Arctic he has certainly dived under ice!