Bruce Purdy
Bruce Purdy is the owner/operator of the Bahamas diving liveaboards Aquacat, Cat Ppalu, and Blackbeard's cruises. He's been a member of REEF's Tropical Western Atlantic AAT since 2002. Bruce is a staunch conservationist and has been integral in supporting REEF's lionfish work in the Bahamas. Even though he has reached the milestone of 1,000+ surveys, Bruce continues to encourage his divers to join him in surveying!
How long have you been doing dive surveys?
I was captaining a trip on the Cat Ppalu in 1994. My daughter was on spring break and had just gotten certified. She made me do every dive that week. There was a passenger onboard who was doing surveys and got me interested. I did my first 20 on that cruise.
When did you join the Golden Hamlet Club?
Around 2007, when I was doing the lionfish collection with REEF for NOAA.
Where do you survey?
Almost all surveys have been in the Bahamas, as that is where our scuba liveaboards are located.
Do you have a favorite fish or invertebrate? Why?
I like the unusual and small fish like blennies and gobies, but my favorite is probably the hammerhead.
What is your favorite thing/memory about REEF and the Volunteer Survey Project?
I have really enjoyed the REEF survey trips I have done.
Tell us about your 1,000th survey!
It was my favorite dive site Dog Rocks in the northern Exumas. We had a lot of pelagics swimming along the wall including reef sharks and eagle rays.
Feel free to share anything else about yourself and your diving adventures!
I was getting a little bored with diving before I started doing surveys. Now I enjoy each dive, even ones in seagrass, under docks, out in the sand and other non-reef areas.
