Mike Jackson
Dive Team Manager, Staff Instructor-
Mike grew up landlocked in New York State. With a love for the beach and a passion for cooking he moved to Charleston SC as a chef. After 10 years and feeling unfulfilled, he decided to make a change. With a passion for the ocean and a desire to help educate, he looked into volunteering at the aquarium. This is where he discovered the world of SCUBA. Diving in head first, he quit his job and moved to Utila, Honduras where he got his Instructor rating and interned. Then it was off to Key West where he taught and guided full time for 5 years and did a part time stint as a boat bottom cleaner and sailing on a schooner. After that he went back to Utila with his wife where he got his staff instructor rating and deep tec certs. Together they moved to St John to start work at Low Key. Here he works with a fantastic team who share his vision for conservation and adventure. He really misses deep diving though!
Serenity Mitchell
Senior Dive Instructor MSDT & Underwater Photographer-
Serenity joined the Low Key team in 2020 and has become our Senior dive team leader. She is originally from Colorado and found her love of nature at a very early age. She has been diving for 11 years and is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Besides diving, her main passion is photography and when not diving for work you can find her diving to help Smithsonian research teams to help identify fish that have yet to be photographed here in the Caribbean as well as in the pacific.
Before working at Low Key, Serenity fell in love with St. John while attending summer camp between the USVI and BVI’s. Her favorite dive sites are the Wreck of the RMS Rhone and Booby Rock, found on the southern side of St. John. Her favorite marine animals are the Spotted Trunk Fish, and the Shy Hamlet.
Andre Michael Goolishian Hernandez
Captain, Staff Instructor & Underwater Photographer-
Texas born and raised, Andre has been a dive professional since 2008. He completed his instructor course in Key Largo, FL and came to the Virgin Islands in 2019, joining the Low Key team in 2020 along with his girlfriend Serenity. Andre is also one of our professional underwater photographers and an active citizen scientist who works with the Smithsonian and Natural History Museum looking for and documenting rare and unknown fish. Currently he has found 7 species that had not been photo documented in the Caribbean. His favorite dive site is Ledges and his favorite fish is the Flagfin Stargazer.
Brent Bowman
Staff Instructor-
Certification: Staff Instructor
Favorite Dive Site: The ledges at French Cap or the backside of Carvel Rock
Favorite Sea Critter: Eagle Rays
Favorite Restaurant: Extra Virgin
Favorite Specialty Course: Self Reliant
Fun Fact: My favorite childhood memory that hooked me on scuba diving was watching my dad snare lobster off St. Croix. That drove my passion to return to the USVI.
Ali Place
Master Scuba Diver Trainer-
Ali joined the Low Key team in February 2022 along with her husband Josh. She has been diving since 2005 and is now a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. She is from Pennsylvania (near Philly) and has also spent time living in New Jersey. Ali has a degree in Ecology and Marine Science. She has worked as an aquarist and diver at a public aquarium, and has sailed the west and northeast coasts aboard wooden tall ships. She is passionate about the oceans and about education (especially education ABOUT the oceans!). Her other hobbies include backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, traveling, and playing video games.
Ali has been visiting St. John and diving since she first got certified. Her favorite dive sites in the VI are Coral Bowl, Steven Cay, and Eagle Shoals. Worldwide, her favorite dive locations are Komodo and the Galapagos. Her favorite sea creatures are mantis shrimp and every type of ray.
Josh Scornavacchi
Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Captain-
Josh and his wife Ali left their homes in Pennsylvania to move to St John in February 2022. Josh and his wife Ali work for Low Key Watersports as a master scuba diver trainer and a captain. He also volunteers in dolphin care with Coral World and plays drums for various bands on St John.
Josh and Ali met in college at Penn State where he majored in biology. Prior to employment with Low Key, Josh had a wide variety of occupations including crew and captain on 5 tallships sailing the seas. He conducted wildlife field research, worked at the Philadelphia zoo and the Adventure Aquarium, was a whitewater guide, EMT, Eagle Scout, news paper artist, and more. Josh wants to be an explorer and travel the world studying apex predators. For hobbies, he enjoys scuba, sailing, backpacking, climbing, whitewater, biking, snowboarding, surfing, drumming, martial arts, fine art, dancing, wildlife ecology, photography, and adventure travel.
Emma Greene
Open Water Scuba Instructor & Reservationist-
Certification: Open Water Instructor
Favorite Dive Site: Coral Bowl
Favorite Sea Critter: Sergeant Major & Fairy Basslet
Favorite Restaurant: 1864
Favorite Specialty Course: Project Aware Shark Conservation
Fun Fact: I can speak a little Korean
Sydney Himelein
Office & Reservations Manager-
Certification: Open Water – certified at Low Key!
Favorite Dive Site: French Cap
Favorite Sea Critter: Cephalopods
Favorite Restaurant: 1864 for sushi!
Favorite Beach: Lameshur
Fun Fact: I moved back to Pennsylvania after 4 years in St. John. I work remotely from home.
Jeremy Prudhomme
General Manager-
Certification: Advanced Open Water
Favorite Dive Site: French Cap and Wreck Alley in BVI
Favorite Sea Critter: Octopus
Favorite Restaurant: The Terrace
Favorite Specialty Course: Caribbean Lionfish Eliminator
Fun Fact: I am one of six children, all of whose first names begin with the letter J
Ann Marie Estes
Founder & PADI Rescue Diver-
Hometown: Formative years in the suburbs of Los Angeles
Favorite Dive Site: French Cap and Congo Cay in the summer; Eagle Shoals in the winter
Favorite Marine Life: Red Lip Blenny
Fun Fact: Animal enthusiast and supporter of our Animal Care Center; currently owns one dog, and many cats; Loves to read and enjoys historical novels and films on the Military.
Angela Peck
Retail Manager-
Certification: Advanced Open Water
Favorite Product in the shop: Dive Boat Silipint for many reasons
Favorite Sea Critter: Octopus
Favorite Restaurant: ZoZos
Favorite Beach: Francis
Fun Fact: Years ago I took a break from retail and was a Rock Radio DJ and Concert Promoter
Bob Shinners
Founder, US Coast Guard 100 Ton Captain; PADI and NAUI Dive Instructor-
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Favorite Dive Site: Carval Rock; the drop; and the Wit Shoal
Favorite Marine Life: Dolphins
Fun Fact: One of eight kids; loves to read Clive Cussler books; been on St. John for over thirty years.