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Tiffany Barrineau:
Owner/Operator Tiffany has a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in
Marine Biology, from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. During her
4 years in college, Tiffany participated in internships with the
National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Marine Science Consortium in
Virginia. These internships dealt with species diversity in the
Chincoteague Bay and the Population Assessment of the Bottlenose
Dolphin in this same area. During her 2 years of the dolphin internship
– the name DolphinGirl was used quite frequently by those who did
not know her name, or the names of her fellow interns. Captain Rich Buehn - I've lived in the South Brevard area since 1964, with much of that time spent in and on the local waters. I started boating in 1968 when my parents bought a 17' daysailor, and I got into surfing that same summer. In 1981, I finished building a 30' catamaran that I sailed all through the bahamas. On my return, I started windsurfing and soon established a business building custom sailboards. I'm still involved in building all manner of surfcraft. I got my 100 ton USCG masters liscense in 2000 after an old college friend approached me with the idea of starting a charter business. We operated that business from New York to Miami until he decided to sell it in 2003. Obviously, I love boating and watersports and the marine environment. Helping to operate Dolphingirl Cruises fits with my lifestyle and passion for being on the water. I enjoy taking people out on the water and giving them a closer look at the beauty of our local waters and an awareness of environmental sensitivity. Captain Jeff Prentice - I grew up in the Caribbean and graduated with a BS in Pre-Med because I had aspirations of being a veternarian. I found that my real love was on the water and ended up with an MS in Ichthyology with a minor in Marine Biology. My first job after graduation was with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Ft. Pierce. I started as a liaison officer between the science program and the deep diving program. I didn't take long for me torealize that I was gravitating toward the technological aspect of deep diving and manned submersibles. At the time I was working for Smithsonian Institution and did a number of chamber dives at the Hyperbaric Facility at Duke University which culminated in a 1000 ft. saturation dive. Later I did a dive, which was the deepest open water dive at the time, to 720 ft. locking out of the manned submersible. During this dive I collected a new species of hermit crab that was living in a large tulip shell. I later became a pilot of the submersible and eventually was Marine Operations Director. Throughout my career with Harbor Branch I maintained a close relationship with the Marine Biology Department and stayed abreast of current discoveries, of which there were many. My boating career started when I was 8 and that summer I collected 3 first prizes sailing an 8 ft. pram that my father had built. I did my first delivery of an 85 ft. sailboat as deckhand, from Puerto Rico to Ft. Lauderdale, when I was 14 and a 72 ft. wood sailing yacht from Genoa Italy to St. Thomas, U.S.V.I when I was 16. Since then I have been on, in or under the water one way or the other. I moved back to this area after leaving Atlantis Submarine as Operations Director in Cancun, Mexico and worked a number of jobs including captain of a 120 ft. crew boat in the Gulf of Mexico. I have worked for an ecotour pontoon boat for the last 3 years and decided more recently to work for DolphinGirl Tours. I have had my 100 ton Ocean Master's license since 1985 and have an endorsement to operate manned submersibles. Naturalist – Jim Eager - This job allows me to fulfill a lifelong dream to work in the nature and natural environment field and be able to promote conservation and environmental awareness and be able to share with the public the birds, plants, animals and marine life of the beautiful Indian and Banana River Lagoons. I have been an avid birder for 20 years, with an indepth knowledge of all the bird species that reside in the Lagoon year round as well as migratory species that come through. I am also knowledgeable about the plant, animal and marine life. I have 1000 volunteer hours as a bird volunteer-special husbandry at the Tennessee Aquarium, in Chattanooga, TN. Member and past vice president/field trips for the Tennessee Ornithological Society. Past member/volunteer for the North American Assn. for Environmental Education for 10 years. Participate in annual Audubon Society Christmas bird counts for Cocoa, Merritt Island NWR and Chattanooga, TN. I also have a Breeding Bird Survey route in Merritt Island NWR that is conducted annually for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Naturalist - Joe Swingle - I grew up in Maryland near the Chesapeake. Some of my favorite memories as a kid come from the times I spent trolling for bluefish from my dad's boat and diving off the back of my grandfather's yacht with my friends and family. These fun activities made it easy to realize what a great place this was. I came to Florida for college and started doing eco-tours in Tampa while working towards a bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of South Florida. Now, as an eco-tour guide here in Florida I get to help other people share the fun of visiting another one of the Nation's great estuaries - the Indian River Lagoon. There are many ways to enjoy the Lagoon, and a relaxing pontoon boat ride during a full moon is definitely on the top of the list!
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