Weldon Wade

Weldon Wade has been active in the Bermuda diving community for over 10 years and is unapologetically dedicated to its growth. The first and only Bermudian certified as freediver/scuba diver/closed-circuit rebreather diver, Weldon is also the founder of an ocean conservation organization called Guardians of the Reef, whose mission includes getting new divers excited to explore and protect the ocean, keep divers diving, and to encourage more young Bermudians to put on a pair of fins, mask and snorkel to see for themselves what lies beneath the waves. 

Ocean protection is at the core of Guardians, with hunting invasive lionfish and removing plastic pollution from land and the sea floor two of the organization’s main goals. “I want to encourage and inspire more Bermudians to discover and explore our beautiful blue backyard, and to love and protect it for future generations,” he says.

• Founder of Guardians of the Reef, ocean advocacy NGO
• TEDx Bermuda speaker, “Diving with Purpose” (2014)
• Director at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute
• Deputy Chairman of the Bermuda Historic Wrecks Authority
• Featured on Smithsonian magazine online for ocean exploration (2019)
• Featured on the cover of Going Green magazine (2019)
• Best of Bermuda Award 2015 – Unsung Hero, for Ocean Advocacy
• The first and only Bermudian certified freediver/scuba diver/CCR diver
• KBB award recipient for Shore Savers Marine Debris Project (2014)
• Mission Director and Founder of sea survey project, “16 Fathoms”
• Ambassador for 5Gyres.org, Seahive and Pathwater