Meet the Crew
Owners
Brian & Anjelique Kelsey
Our fearless leaders, Brian & Anjelique, moved to Key Largo
from San Antonio in March of 2019 with the distinct honor of taking the helm at Sea Dwellers Dive Center.
Brian is a PADI & SSI Instructor, and 100 GT Master Boat Captain and Anjelique is a PADI and SSI Instructor and Nurse Practitioner.
from San Antonio in March of 2019 with the distinct honor of taking the helm at Sea Dwellers Dive Center.
Brian is a PADI & SSI Instructor, and 100 GT Master Boat Captain and Anjelique is a PADI and SSI Instructor and Nurse Practitioner.
Brian's favorite dive site in the Keys is tied between Pickles and The Aquarium and Anjelique loves diving on the shallow wreck of the Benwood.
Brian and Anjelique have an adorable 3-year-old son, Zale (he's our resident cookie-snatcher...!). When they're not helping around the shop, they are definitely playing with this little guy!
Captains
Captain Russell Dockery
Russell was born in San Antonio, Texas, but later moved to the Florida Keys to pursue his interest in ocean conservation! He spent 9 years in the U.S. Navy as a navigator attached to the U.S.S. Rushmore (LSD-47). He was a Plank Owner aboard the Rushmore as part of the commissioning crew. Then, Russell worked as a sailing charter captain for 17 years at Florida Sea Base, the Boy Scouts High Adventure camp located in Islamorada.
Fun fact about Russell:
"I had a short cameo appearance in a pirate movie called “Crossbones” filmed here in the Keys. Very bad movie, EXTREMELY low budget and fortunately I did not quit my day job!"
Fun fact about Russell:
"I had a short cameo appearance in a pirate movie called “Crossbones” filmed here in the Keys. Very bad movie, EXTREMELY low budget and fortunately I did not quit my day job!"
Highest level of certification:
100 GT Master with sailing endorsement PADI Divemaster
Years professional:
22 years
Russell's favorite dive site:
Molasses Ree
Russell's favorite marine animal:
Sea Horse!
100 GT Master with sailing endorsement PADI Divemaster
Years professional:
22 years
Russell's favorite dive site:
Molasses Ree
Russell's favorite marine animal:
Sea Horse!
Instructors/Divemasters
Nate Russell - Instructor
Nate is from Calais, Maine, and he has been diving since he was kid and his dad introduced him to it! He's been a diving professional since 2015!
Fun facts about Nate:
He's been diving in 5 different countries (and he's looking to add more)! He's on the Animal Planet "Aquarium" episode documenting the coral spawning here in Key Largo! Nate is also a fantastic dancer (at least he thinks so...!
Highest level of certification:
Open Water Scuba Instructor
Nate's teaching specialties:
Deep, Wreck, Gas Blending, Nitrox, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night
Nate's favorite dive gear:
-Regulator: Mares Abyss -BCD: Mares Prestige -Fins: Mares XStreams -Mask: Atomic (frameless)
Nate's favorite dive site:
U.S.C.G.C. Duane
Nate's favorite marine life:
Spotted Drum
Fun facts about Nate:
He's been diving in 5 different countries (and he's looking to add more)! He's on the Animal Planet "Aquarium" episode documenting the coral spawning here in Key Largo! Nate is also a fantastic dancer (at least he thinks so...!
Highest level of certification:
Open Water Scuba Instructor
Nate's teaching specialties:
Deep, Wreck, Gas Blending, Nitrox, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night
Nate's favorite dive gear:
-Regulator: Mares Abyss -BCD: Mares Prestige -Fins: Mares XStreams -Mask: Atomic (frameless)
Nate's favorite dive site:
U.S.C.G.C. Duane
Nate's favorite marine life:
Spotted Drum
Jim Schmeiser - Instructor
Jim has been diving since the early 90's and has been in the Keys for quite some time! He is one
of our amazing PADI & SSI instructors, and he is in fact our most senior employee at Sea Dwellers, having worked here as a divemaster and instructor since 1992!
of our amazing PADI & SSI instructors, and he is in fact our most senior employee at Sea Dwellers, having worked here as a divemaster and instructor since 1992!
Divemaster - Ash
Ash grew up in San Antonio, Tx and has also lived in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Colorado before migrating to the Gulf side of Florida (Clearwater and Hudson) before FINALLY ending up in Key Largo.
Fun fact about Ash: Ash was at the grand opening of SeaWorld, San Antonio in the late 1980’s and was in LOVE with the shark exhibit, spending hours in there watching the divers cleaning the exhibits, caring for the animals and of course watching the sharks. She was fascinated by the sand tiger sharks and they grew up watching each until 2008 when she left Texas. Fast forward to October 2020, when Ash did the shark dive at the Denver Aquarium where there were 2 sand tiger sharks in the water that were unusually curious about her, to the point that even the guide commented on it. 2 months later, a dive shop in Denver’s sent out a newsletter introducing the two sand tigers as the new arrivals as Wally and Madge, the 31 year old transplants from…SeaWorld San Antonio. Ash unknowingly got to dive with two of the very sharks that inspired her to become a diver in the first place. Ash bawled like a baby when she realized who those two big beautiful babies were to her and she marveled at the fact that they were almost the same age as her! She even got lucky enough to find two of their teeth on the dive for the coolest souvenir EVER.
Ash's favorite dive sites: RJ Thompson (Tarpon Springs, Fl), CJ's Ledge (Tarpon Springs, Fl), Turtle Ledge (Roatan, Honduras), Banana Patch (Key Largo, Fl), Conch Ledge (Key Largo/Tavernier, Fl), any wreck, and anywhere I can hunt!
What will you typically find Ash doing on a dive? If she's working, she's either guiding divers around the reefs showing them cool stuff or doing some private underwater photography for a dive group on the boat (her photography is STELLAR). When she's not diving for the shop, she's usually hunting for hogfish & lionfish (tacos, yum!), contracting on freelance recovery dives for people's lost items (jewelry, small items, phones, anchors, etc.), working on her own private underwater photography projects or finding cool stuff like old bottles, sea biscuits, and critters where you would not expect to find them. She finds the weirdest and coolest stuff!
Fun fact about Ash: Ash was at the grand opening of SeaWorld, San Antonio in the late 1980’s and was in LOVE with the shark exhibit, spending hours in there watching the divers cleaning the exhibits, caring for the animals and of course watching the sharks. She was fascinated by the sand tiger sharks and they grew up watching each until 2008 when she left Texas. Fast forward to October 2020, when Ash did the shark dive at the Denver Aquarium where there were 2 sand tiger sharks in the water that were unusually curious about her, to the point that even the guide commented on it. 2 months later, a dive shop in Denver’s sent out a newsletter introducing the two sand tigers as the new arrivals as Wally and Madge, the 31 year old transplants from…SeaWorld San Antonio. Ash unknowingly got to dive with two of the very sharks that inspired her to become a diver in the first place. Ash bawled like a baby when she realized who those two big beautiful babies were to her and she marveled at the fact that they were almost the same age as her! She even got lucky enough to find two of their teeth on the dive for the coolest souvenir EVER.
Ash's favorite dive sites: RJ Thompson (Tarpon Springs, Fl), CJ's Ledge (Tarpon Springs, Fl), Turtle Ledge (Roatan, Honduras), Banana Patch (Key Largo, Fl), Conch Ledge (Key Largo/Tavernier, Fl), any wreck, and anywhere I can hunt!
What will you typically find Ash doing on a dive? If she's working, she's either guiding divers around the reefs showing them cool stuff or doing some private underwater photography for a dive group on the boat (her photography is STELLAR). When she's not diving for the shop, she's usually hunting for hogfish & lionfish (tacos, yum!), contracting on freelance recovery dives for people's lost items (jewelry, small items, phones, anchors, etc.), working on her own private underwater photography projects or finding cool stuff like old bottles, sea biscuits, and critters where you would not expect to find them. She finds the weirdest and coolest stuff!
Our resident loveable teddy bear!
New to us, but a veteran of the sport, Ben came over from the Gulf side of Florida around the Crystal River area. Can you say MANATEE COUNTRY?!?! Gotta love those floaty potatoes!
Ben got started as a commercial diver that was SCARED of scuba diving! Fast forward a bit and all of a sudden, he's cage diving with Great Whites in South Africa and making friends with seals in the Galapagos Islands!
His dog Dumpling is the light of his life. She's a rescue Shar-Pei mix and with Ben's patience, love and acceptance, she's learning that the world is not such a scary place after all.
Diving for 10 years and Pro for 2 years (as of 2024), Ben is a Specialty Instructor certified with both PADI and SSI. He's enthusiastic, fun, patiend and kind with his students. Kids LOVE him because he's packing a ton of big kid energy combined with competence, confidence and playful professionalism.
He's a big fan of SpyderCo. knives (to be honest, who isn't in love with SpyderCo), and loves ScubaPro & AquaLung gear.
You want to see this guy light up like a little kid on Christmas? Easy, just show him a sea turtle.
His favorite dive site in the Key Largo area is Snapper Ledge on Pickles Reef.
New to us, but a veteran of the sport, Ben came over from the Gulf side of Florida around the Crystal River area. Can you say MANATEE COUNTRY?!?! Gotta love those floaty potatoes!
Ben got started as a commercial diver that was SCARED of scuba diving! Fast forward a bit and all of a sudden, he's cage diving with Great Whites in South Africa and making friends with seals in the Galapagos Islands!
His dog Dumpling is the light of his life. She's a rescue Shar-Pei mix and with Ben's patience, love and acceptance, she's learning that the world is not such a scary place after all.
Diving for 10 years and Pro for 2 years (as of 2024), Ben is a Specialty Instructor certified with both PADI and SSI. He's enthusiastic, fun, patiend and kind with his students. Kids LOVE him because he's packing a ton of big kid energy combined with competence, confidence and playful professionalism.
He's a big fan of SpyderCo. knives (to be honest, who isn't in love with SpyderCo), and loves ScubaPro & AquaLung gear.
You want to see this guy light up like a little kid on Christmas? Easy, just show him a sea turtle.
His favorite dive site in the Key Largo area is Snapper Ledge on Pickles Reef.