Captain Andy Ross

Association, Company, Affiliations: Niuhi Dive Charters, Emerald Coast Open, Ocean Strike Team

Location: Florida

Your favorite quote: What happens on the Niuhi stays on Niuhi

Your message or mission statement: We here at Niuhi Dive Charters are dedicated to serving the dive community with custom dive trips for all levels of experience. We specialize in Lionfish hunting and mitigation as well as reef surveys. We focus on ecotourism to educate divers on the importance of Lionfish control and the effects they have on the Gulf of Mexico fisheries. With our efforts we hope to make an impact on divers and the way they dive the Gulf of Mexico.

Your latest endeavors and where they take place: Our latest endeavor has been to run a productive dive charter business during the latest pandemic. We were able to take several hundred people diving and Lionfish hunting out of Pensacola during uncertain times.

What efforts are you most proud of? I am most proud of running the largest Lionfish tournament in the world. During the 2019 Emerald Coast Open event we brought in almost 20,000 Lionfish. While 2020 was a challenging year, we were able to conduct a successful tournament that remove several thousand Lionfish as well.

Anything else you’d like us to know? We are proud to work with Lionfish Divers and look forward to a fantastic Lionfish season.