2026 Diving Pioneer

Diving Pioneer Peter Hughes has led major advances in shaping the resort and liveaboard industries. In 1951, as a lad of four, he moved from Scotland to Trinidad & Tobago. He learned to scuba dive in Tobago in 1957. This was a present for his tenth birthday, along with a copy of Jacques Cousteau’s The Silent World.

In his twenties, Peter relocated to Tobago, where he worked as a counselor at Camp Crusoe, a water sports camp for teenagers. He moved to Roatan in 1971 and under his guidance, Anthony’s Key Resort established the first viable dive operation on the island, catering specifically to visiting divers. It was there in 1972 he met Alice, his wife-to-be. In 1975 Peter moved to Kansas, where Alice lived and where he married her.

December 1975 saw Peter and his new wife on the move again, this time to Bonaire and the DIVI Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, where Peter would develop and implement a new approach to scuba diving. This approach acknowledged the growing importance of women in scuba diving by making it easier for women to be a part of the diving community. It would end the “macho” approach: now it was easy to carry gear and load boats. This system introduced high-pressure air delivery, dive platforms, and ladders.

Peter sold Bonaire to DIVI in 1985, serving as Vice President of its Marine Sports division until 1990 and continuing to attract female divers to liveaboard diving: no bunk beds, all cabins with ensuite services, turndown service, plush linens, bathrobes, and wake-up service with a hot beverage of choice delivered to the cabin. In 1986, he launched Sea Dancer, the first liveaboard to embrace Nitrox at no extra charge.

Following his resignation from DIVI, he formed Peter Hughes Diving and created the Dancer Fleet. He operated these companies from 1990 to 2008. Peter began exporting permanent mooring projects around the world, a program begun by Don Stewart in Bonaire in 1972. In 2000, Beneath the Sea recognized him and Wayne Hasson of the Aggressor Fleet as Divers of the Year for Environment, recognizing and honoring their permanent mooring safeguards for reefs everywhere.

In 2008, Peter again sold his company, staying on as President under the new owner until 2010, when he formed DivEncounters with heavy emphasis on the Galapagos. The Galapagos Sky, formerly Sky Dancer, was the first liveaboard to integrate a Nitrox-only policy for safety purposes. Peter continued to develop DivEncounters Alliance, bringing together world-class liveaboards around the world to share the mission of safety, service, and people before profit. He resigned from DivEncounters in 2017. From 2017 to 2020, Peter was a private consultant on liveaboard construction projects.

At the start of the pandemic, Peter retired. Truth is, Peter cannot leave the sea or his first love, Anthony’s Key Resort. Julio Galindo, Anthony’s Key proprietor, said: “We are thrilled to have Peter Hughes back at Anthony’s Key Resort. His dedication to the diving industry and unparalleled expertise will undoubtedly enhance the guest experience at our resort. We look forward to the exciting future with Peter on our team.”

Divers can look forward to Peter Hughes’ specialty dive trips at Anthony’s Key Resort in the future. Combining the resort’s scenic beauty and Peter’s diving expertise will ensure an unforgettable diving adventure in paradise.

Peter Hughes’ lifetime awards include Beneath the Sea Diver of the Year, DEMA Reaching Out Award, DEMA Diving Hall of Fame, International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, ADEX Lifetime Achievement Award, and NOGI.