Crew was amazing. From captain to cook, all did everything they could to make a fantastic vacation.
Lisa D
The Vessels
Blackbeard’s cruises are delivered on one of our two 65′ diving liveaboard sailboats, the Sea Explorer and the Morning Star.
- Exceptional oceanfront and island views
- Dining – picnic-style outdoors in the horseshoe or inside near the kitchen (galley)
- Bunks – beds come in doubles and singles as uppers or lowers
- Bathrooms (heads) – small and shared with your mates
- Showers – hot water and long showers are a luxury – enjoy them before you arrive
- Kitchen (galley) – yes, a compact space where all your meals are prepped. We’re serious.
Don’t pack tons of clothes. We’d rather have room to store all the food we’ll eat each trip.
Our dinghies are our transportation to and from islands.
Meet Our Crew
Chris
Captain
Chris Hales was born and raised in the cool waters of San Diego. Whether it was fishing, free diving, or surfing he could always be found on the Ocean in his free time. Working his way into the maritime industry he spent the rest of his time refurbishing small vessels till he had a ship large enough to travel the high seas. Chris spent many years chasing Tuna up and down the Northern Coast of Baja, Coronado Islands, and Channel Islands till he found his Pirate calling with Blackbeards Cruises. Trading his cold water fishing expeditions for warm crystal clear teal blue waters of the Bahamas, Chris started with the company as an Engineer. Eventually working his way to Captaincy and helping out his fellow crew members as Personnel Director.
Jen
Captain & First Mate
Jen is originally from Germany and started of as a Carpenter for private Yachts. She fell in love with diving and has been traveling full time for 11 years. She has been with the company since 2019, starting off on Aqua Cat as Dive Instructor. After 2 years, she gave engineering a try on the mighty Cat Ppalu. Learning all the new things about Watermakers and Engines she figured she should go ahead and do her Captains license as well. After running the Mates role for a short time she got the opportunity to take over Sea Explorer as a full time Captain in 2023. Since then she has been running her and teaching the new crew Members how to find their way around the boat. 2024 she explored the wild white boat Yachting Industry as a second Engineer. But she realized that she misses the true Pirates life and joined us again in 2025 to train the new uprising Captains in the Company.
Tristan
Captain & First Mate
Tristan got his love for the ocean from growing up so close to the beautiful waters of South Africa near Durbin. He got into cooking when he took a job as a waiter during the summers. He started cooking for family and friends when not working and just grew to love it more and more. Eventually, he decided to combine the two things that he really liked to do, which was boating and cooking. When not in the kitchen he can be found blowing bubbles.
Tyrone
Captain & First Mate
Tyrone was raised and brought up in South Africa. He loves the ocean since he has been been a child and that’s what has brought him here. He has been diving since 2018 which has given him time for figuring out what his favourite aquatic animal is which is all the nudibranch in the world. His older brother Tristan has been working with Blackbeard’s already for a while as a cook and thought Tyrone would be a great addition to the team. Fishing is one of his biggest passion and his favourite colour is green.
Alex
Captain
From Derby, England, Alex traded rainy skies for turquoise seas and never looked back. He first cut his fins working as a dive professional across Southeast Asia before joining AquaCat as a divemaster. With saltwater in his veins and a knack for adventure, he worked his way up to the helm as captain on the legendary Blackbeard’s boats.
Alex’s career has taken him from coral reefs to some of the ocean’s biggest predators—he even spent time on Grand Bahama as a professional shark feeder (where he also met Jen, now his wife and fellow Blackbeard’s captain—proof that nothing brings people together quite like sharks 🦈).
When he’s not steering ships or leading dives, Alex loves diving into tales of pirate history—fitting for a man who spends his life sailing the seas. Add in a love of travel, a talent for storytelling, and a life built around the ocean, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a captain who’s always up for the next adventure.
Kelton
Engineer
Kelton grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico- 800 miles of desert away from the nearest ocean. His love for the sea came from family trips to Barbados and California. At 21, he left home for sunny San Diego, where he took up surfing, sailing, paddle boarding, kite boarding, and eventually diving. He joined our Engineering team when he realized the only thing holding him back from more time on the water was having to go home at night to sleep in a bed on land! He can usually be coaxed out of the water with the promise of world travel, a good book, or trading stories with this week’s new batch of divers. His favorite aquatic animal is a balloonfish, because they always look like they’re smiling! Fun fact- his name is Scottish for “a place where ships are built”
Carson
Chef & Engineer
Carson joins us from Auburn, a college town in Alabama, home of the Auburn Tigers! Before finding a love for diving, he was a student at Auburn University bouncing around between majors starting with Horticulture and leaving from the Anthropology department He likes to spend time playing guitar, gardening, drafting architectural prints for the family business, or working on his 1984 Jeep CJ7. He has traveled around the states seeing both coasts and frequent beach towns throughout the state of Florida. His favorite journeys were spent in Honduras, Mexico, and the Bahamas. The porcupine puffer fish is his favorite critter and holds that spot because of one lucky dive in the Florida Keys. Me and this beautiful fish spent 45 minutes cruising until it circled back to its crevice on the reef. Quiz:
Two truths and a lie:
- He performed on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
- He is related to one of the most prolific bank robbers in Alabama’s history.
- His favorite snack at the gas station is a Honey Bun.
Gunnar
Chef
In his inaugural journey beyond South Africa, Gunnar navigates the vibrant landscapes of Florida, USA, and the captivating Bahamas. He finds joy in both the art of cooking and savoring prawns. On a more enchanting note, the graceful presence of sea turtles never ceases to captivate him. Additionally, Gunnar holds a profound respect for all species of sharks, recognizing them as the true alphas of the sea. Their assertiveness, heightened senses, and remarkable strength make these creatures truly awe-inspiring.
In a past life, Gunnar wore the hat of a Pro Bodyboarder in Ballito, KZN, South Africa. The journey since has seen him transition from the realms of IT to entrepreneurship and, currently, as sea crew, with aspirations to venture into the culinary world as a chef.
In the pursuit of personal growth and fulfillment, Gunnar has discovered that it’s never too late to reinvent oneself. His journey has been marked by challenges and life-changing experiences, yet he has conquered every obstacle life has thrown his way, and there have been many. Now, Gunnar is returning to his deep-rooted passion for the ocean, prepared to wholeheartedly dedicate himself to the new challenges that lie ahead.
Chris
Chef & Engineer
I grew up in Plettenberg Bay South Africa. As a kid I loved going to the beach with friends and playing soccer in the sand. The first sea creature I ever saw I jokingly called an Elephant Shark. I later came to find out that there actually was an elephant fish. I took a cooking class that was offered in high school and my life was forever changed. I fell in love with cooking and the joy that it spreads. After high school I went into hotel management and started cooking full time and have not looked back since. It gives me great joy to see the happiness that a good meal can bring someone!
Kristen
Dive Instructor & Engineer
Kristen grew up as a competitive swimmer in the landlocked state of Colorado. She moved to Oregon to pursue a degree in education and quickly fell in love with diving, even in the cold, low vis waters of the PNW eventually becoming an instructor. After being a guest on Blackbeard’s several times, her dreams of joining the pirate crew have become a reality a she joins as an instructor. Kristen’s favorite sea creature is the octopus because of their intelligence. Her favorite dive spots include the Puget Sound, the Red Sea and the Bahamas. She speaks Spanish fluently and while in college picked up the unusual hobby of fire spinning.
Josh
Dive Instructor & Engineer
My name is Josh Peters and I am originally from an island off the coast of Georgia called St. Simons but have lived all over the world. I originally went to college to be a literature teacher but life took me elsewhere career wise. I finally landed on being a diving instructor, which has been the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. I speak English, some Spanish and am fluent in southern. When I’m not diving I like to spend my time surfing, hiking, reading, traveling and spending time with my family. I have been all over the world both traveling and living. My favorite ocean animal is the manta ray because of how graceful they are in the water. Fun fact about me: my first language is German even though I can no longer speak it.
Candela
Chef & Dive Instructor
Candela comes from one of the world’s famous and historic culinary regions, and lucky for us she’s here to cook! Her home in Galicia Spain lies near the fated “Costa del Muerte” or coast of death for those unfamiliar with the Spanish language. Believe it or not, the diving on the coast of death is quite difficult and dangerous. Because of this she moved to the lovely Mexican seaside and has dedicated her time to the education of others, as well as herself, within the dive industry. A welcome presence within the galley and soon to be PADI Instructor and Dive Master, Candela is a fantastic addition to the crew keep an eye out for her on your next Blackbeard’s Cruise.
Chris
Dive Instructor
Originally from the not so sunny UK and miles from the nearest Ocean Chris found his love for diving following on from a stint in the military. Diving has seen him be lucky enough to visit all corners of the earth from the Caribbean, South East Asia, South Pacific and beyond all whilst working his way up to the dizzy heights of PADI Master Instructor. When he is not diving, he can be found somewhere talking about diving or thinking about his dream diving destinations. On his travels around the world, he picked up the very unique skill of being able to levitate an orange with a scuba tank. Be sure to ask him to show you this very cool scuba party trick!
Mel
Chef
Half-French, half-Peruvian, Mel first drew breath in the grand port of Paris before being whisked off to the sun-soaked shores of Lima. A Virgo navigator with two feline deckmates, a taste for sport, and a divemaster’s badge earned in the warm southern seas of Spain, she’s most often found in her galley cooking up feasts fit for any crew. And when she’s not tending the pots, she’s beneath the waves, chasing the rush of battle-ready workouts or hunting down a bottle of wine fine enough to make even the saltiest buccaneer weep with joy.
Michael
Chef
Michael comes to us from Auburn, Alabama—where the seas are imaginary and the only waves are in football stadiums. He learned to dive specifically so he could run away to sea and cook for hungry pirates. When he’s not in the galley whipping up comfort food, you’ll find him underwater hunting for his favorite animal, the loggerhead turtle. His favorite color is purple, his motivation is high, and his pirate energy is undeniable.
Sara
Engineer & Dive Instructor
Sara is a Pirate convert from the microbiology labs of Charleston. She hails from sunny Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and began her career as a microbiologist in the aseptic unit. After a couple years in a windowless lab, Sara made the plunge into diving, working at a Dive shop in Myrtle Beach and eventually earning her Dive Instructor certification bringing her skills to Blackbeards as a Divemaster in the winter season. She has since joined the crew full-time (looking for that summer sun) as an Engineer, making her a well rounded and invaluable member of the crew. Her favorite animal is the Spotted Eagle Ray and favorite color is yellow, a clear indicator of her bright personality. If you were curious what a friendly Pirate is like, come aboard and have a chat with her.
Victoria
Dive Instructor
Victoria joins us from Delaware (dela-where exactly???), where she has been scuba diving with her family for as long as she can remember. Her best dive buddies all refer to her as “Vica,” and her favorite creature is the sea turtle for its ability to find zen in the water column. When completing her degree in conservation, she had the opportunity to study them in Costa Rica. Her adventures don’t stop there! Whether it’s bungee jumping in New Zealand or camel riding across the pyramids, Victoria is always eager to escape her comfort zone. She loves trying new foods, but nothing beats spiny lobster fresh off the reef!
We Are Now Hiring
We are always looking for adventurous
individuals to join the team.
Life on board is hard work but very rewarding-
send in your application today!
Dive instructors, chefs,
and engineer positions available.