Brian Kakuk Named Sea Hero of The Year 2016-17
Brian Kakuk is a hard man to keep up with. The founder of the Bahamas Caves Research Foundation was preparing for a shoot for Ancient Caves — an upcoming IMAX film exploring what causes ice ages — when we delivered the news that he had been selected as Scuba Diving and Oris Watches USA’s Sea Hero of the Year.
“This is absolutely amazing!” he enthuses. “With all the awesome Sea Heroes on your list this year, I never would have imagined blue-holes research would rise to the top.”
Kakuk was named Scuba Diving’s Jan/Feb 2017 Sea Hero for his championing and exploration of the Crystal Caves of the Bahamas’ Abaco Island. The Sea Hero of the Year honor comes with a $5,000 contribution from Oris to further Kakuk’s work.
Courtesy Brian KakukBrian Kakuk
He summed up his challenge in interviews for his initial selection: “I was a foreigner trying to persuade locals what to do with their land. In a country with very little landmass, Bahamians are limited in where they can develop to create jobs and homes, so they don’t take kindly to foreigners coming in and telling them what they should do with their land. My job was to try to convince locals and governmental agencies that these places were so incredibly special — without actually being able to take them there — that they were worth setting aside for the future. I have to show that these sites will bring in tourism dollars, but on a level that is sustainable for these fragile sites.”
Happily for all, he succeeded when the area was designated a “conservation forest,” the highest protection accorded to government-owned land in the Bahamas. Kakuk explained the significance of what the $5,000 Oris award means to a project like his.
Jill HeinerthRalph's Cave, one of the newly protected Crystal Caves of Abaco Island.
“The funds will be used to mount a small expedition of explorers and scientists to Andros Island this summer to discover new species in one of the longest underwater caves in the world, Conch Sound Blue Hole,” Kakuk says. “The chance for discovery at this site is enormous. With the support of Scuba Diving magazine and Oris, we can be assured a successful research expedition.”
Jill HeinerthLifting a Lucayan skull.
“Brian Kakuk exemplifies the diver we had in mind when we launched the Sea Heroes program with Scuba Diving,” says V.J. Geronimo, CEO, North America, at Oris Watches USA. “It’s never easy to pick out just one Sea Hero of the Year — they all inspire everyday divers to follow their passions and get involved in protecting what they love.”
The Sea Heroes program honors five divers a year who have made contributions in education, conservation, innovation or exploration. Each receives an Oris Aquis Date watch valued at $1,650; a panel from Scuba Diving and Oris selects one of the five each year as the Sea Hero of the Year, who is awarded a $5,000 prize to further his or her work. Nominate your Sea Hero today.
MEET THE OTHER 2016-17 SEA HEROES
