About Us
The Beginning
Captain Morgan’s owner, Kevin, first arrived for a holiday in May of 1994. He began his life here as an advanced diver and promptly fell in love with the island and its unique charm. Back home in the U.S., he felt like the daily work grind was getting the better of him and he realized that the rats had won the race. He left Louisiana to set up a new life here in Utila. There is no room in Kevin’s life for regrets and saying ‘what if’. With this in mind and never being afraid of a challenge, 6 short months later, Captain Morgan’s Dive Centre (in it’s first incarnation) opened its doors.
Kevin took his Rescue and Divemaster courses as the owner of the shop. The face of Utila diving was incredibly different back then. The best phrase to describe it is “guerilla diving” there were no big diveboats back then only little dories, some of them no more than dugout canoes. After a few years in business he bought his first skiff, the Essex Girl, then a few more years went by and the Ragga Boy was next… Now, Captain Morgan’s proudly rides in the Miss Kary.
The Environment
With a background in Geology and Environmental Sciences, this topic is very close to his heart. He was a founding member of UDSEC (Utila Dive Safety and Environment Centre). This group which is made up from the concientious dive shops on the island. Their primary objectives are the safety of the island, the upkeep of the reef and creating new habitats for the lush sealife that resides here. They also try to help locals become certified divers and encourage then to take an active role in the diving world. A current project UDSEC are working on is the sinking of a new wreck – the Captain Berto. This collective directly funds the Utila Centre of Marine Ecology (UCME), the driving force behind the reef clean ups and the lionfish AWARE projects.
Personal Life
In 2007 Kevin married Emilia, a fantastic local Honduran businesswoman, and together they are raising three kids. He is very proud of his family and the fact he has all of his own hair and most of his own teeth.
Vision and Philosophy
What has always set Captain Morgan’s aside is the northside diving, the reputation of Utila as a diving centre of excellence is built on the northside’s beauty, diversity and rich marine life.
He prides himself on his choice of staff, he says they all have a certain something about them and they are always willing to help and go the extra mile to ensure guest happiness – he has divemasters who are webmasters, instructors who are hotel hosts.
Kevin’s major project is his new hotel, the completion of which is very highly anticipated. With a beach and an incredible ocean view, it will change the face of Captain Morgan’s as we know it! The Hotel (as yet unnamed) is expected to be completed by the end of the year. By reinvesting in the business, he ensures that Captain Morgan’s improves and updates as trends change.
His mission on Utila is to give people options. If you can decide what you want from your time in Utila then his team will work towards making it happen. This is why Captain Morgan’s divers return year after year, to work, learn and relax. Whether you want to take courses and live in a dorm on the island, stay on the cays or want to rent your own private island and fundive, you can with Captain Morgan’s
