2026 Boston Sea Rover Symposium weekend write-up

Forward: This write-up was written the day after the 2026 Boston Sea Rovers Symposium. It is being posted now because today is the first official day of my internship! (very exciting).

Wow, what an absolute rush this past weekend has been! This year’s Boston Sea Rovers symposium saw amazing speakers; they showed everything from human-powered submarines to an octopus doing the devil’s tango. The Andria Doria exhibit was an absolute hit, showing artifacts that have been collected by divers brave enough to make the trek. The film festival had world-class footage that had never been displayed to the public before. This year we even had a surprise concert from Boston Sea Rover, Cristian Dimitrius, and other fantastically talented musicians. As they played, Cristian narrated a journey through the ice of Antarctica. I would go so far as to say he gave Attenborough a run for his money! I have been attending the Boston Sea Rovers symposium for twelve years now. In that time, I have been fortunate enough to be able to watch ten people become Boston Sea Rovers, interns. Getting on stage and accepting such a life-changing opportunity from Boston Sea Rovers president and former intern, Kim Malkoski, felt like I was walking on air. Receiving the internship opens a door to a life-altering summer, and I am beyond grateful to be able to receive such an honor. 

I sat down at breakfast Friday morning with Boston Sea Rovers and former Interns Rick Simon and Hailey Springer, where they briefed me on what I could expect during the weekend and answered whatever questions I had. Next, I attended an Adobe Lightroom bootcamp taught by Erin Quigley. This class goes over absolutely everything you could ever need about Lightroom. Though I’ve been using Lightroom for five years now, I learned about fantastic organizational systems (that I definitely need to be using), tricks on how to better apply white balance to photos, a skill that any NE diver needs to have, and how to better prepare your photos for a photo competition. Mrs. Quigley is not only an incredibly entertaining and engaging instructor, but she is also vastly knowledgeable on all things in the underwater photography world. After I finished her class, I walked through the lobby of the hotel, where I bumped into Sea Rover Greg Skomal and Nick Caloyianis. They invited me out to dinner with their families, and former BSR intern Sofia Grabiel-Butler accepted. At the reception party, I got the opportunity to shake hands and speak with many of the members of Sea Rovers and daytime presenters. It was the first time I’ve been to a networking event like that. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous, but former BSR interns took me around and were able to introduce me to all the people who made this year’s show so incredible. 

Saturday morning, I woke up and got ready for the day ahead. I knew this was going to be the big one. I ate breakfast with former interns, then helped work the ticket counter. From there, I sat in on Rick Simon and Mike Dudas’ 70 years of the Andria Doria presentation. I’ve really only ever heard the verbal stories of people who have dived the Doria, discussing the different challenges and the history of the many divers who have braved it. It was incredible to finally see some of the historical footage of the Doria sinking, as well as the aftermath of years of exploration. After the Doria talk ended, I assisted in working the Intern booth. It was here that I got to meet former Boston Sea Rovers Intern Brendan Sullivan. I was amazed by his cordial demeanor and his professionalism. He was a major helping force this past weekend, and for that, I can’t thank him enough. I also have to thank both Hailey Springer and Krista Laforest, both past BSR summer interns, and both fantastic, kind, and helpful people who made this weekend go so smoothly for me. Once more, I cannot thank them enough for all of their effort and assistance. After that, I went to the film festival presenter lunch. You would not believe how much planning goes into the film festival and how many people work behind the scenes. These people give so much to see that the weekend goes off without any hiccups, and when there inevitably are, they are the first to jump and find a fix. It has been such a transformative experience to be able to see behind the curtain and see all the work that goes on behind the scenes. 

After the meeting, Rick Simon took me around the exhibit hall to speak with sponsors. I cannot thank Rick enough for his support and advice during the weekend. Rick is an upstanding and dependable person, and when I think of the core values of the Boston Sea Rovers, I think of Rick Simon. Anytime I had a question or worry, he was right there, ready to give honest, constructive guidance. Once more, it is imperative that I give thanks to these people. Every last sponsor is to be thanked for the continuation of this organization, and without them, I would not be writing about my experience to you now. A few of the many names that stand out are people like the famed Antarctic explorer,  Faith Ortins. The ever-talented Becca Boring from backscatter (you really should check out her Instagram, she’s got some incredible stuff on there). And of course, the eccentric Tim Andro from DIVECODES.   

After I got a little time to myself to recharge, I got dressed and ready for the Board of Directors dinner. This was a fantastic experience where I got to share a meal with world-renowned photographers, cinematographers, and rovers alike. To hear such incredible stories made the meal fly right by, and before I knew it we were getting ready for the film festival. My heart started to beat a little quicker as I walked downstairs. The weight of realizing that this thing was actually happening to me began to set in. I found my seat next to Steven and Carmen from Explorers Photography (that amazing opener that you saw at the film festival was them). I also got a chance to say a quick hello to some friends and family who were generous enough to show up and support not just me but the oldest (…and best…) dive club in New England.

 The film festival was something that you really just have to attend to understand (This is also my hint to you to buy tickets to next year’s film festival). Every year I have had the pleasure of seeing the film festival. I feel like I see a new animal that I never knew existed. This year’s animal was the Blanket octopus that Howard and Michele Hall showed. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I implore you to Google a picture of one right now and tell me that’s not one of the most incredible creatures you’ve ever seen. The surprise that Cristian Dimitrius had for us, just wow! Psychedelic guitar ice show for the ages. Only a guy like Cristian is creative enough to combine all those ideas; he is another person you should add to your list of people to check out. After the lights came on and took the audience out of the hypnotic trance that Cristian put us into, I attended the speaker’s party. It was a great opportunity to catch up with good friends and make some new ones. 

Sunday morning came around faster than I imagined it would, and with it came Jake Stout and Cristian Dimitrius’s visual storytelling workshop. Cristian opened by showing how he builds his videos and how you can break down your story into parts to not only tell a story but promote intrigue from your viewers. Next, Jake Stout took over and showed how he tells a story through photography. He highlighted photographers and shared their stories (photo right). One of my favorite things about art is that it allows for the communication of an idea or feeling when words are not enough. Jake did a fantastic job of telling the audience about not only the art but also the creative choices the artists made. He then shifted to sharing his artistic processes, and his work really is incredible. Once more I ask you to spare the time to check out some of his work, you can thank me at the next show ;). While I have some experience in both of these fields, video is something that I have not been able to do much of, and hearing Cristian’s process started turning some gears in my head for future plans (maybe you will get to see some this summer). 

 I then sat in for Sofia Grabiel-Butler (the 2026 Boston Sea Rovers Intern). Sofia did an amazing summary of the experience the Boston Sea Rovers was able to give her. She highlighted the people who were transformative and instrumental to her journey. She dove everywhere from the Boston Aquarium to the Arctic. This made me even more excited for the opportunities I will be fortunate enough to experience. Afterwards, I was able to walk around the exhibit hall and meet many of the supporters of the Boston Sea Rovers. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who came up to speak with me at this year’s symposium. Your continued support is what makes Boston Sea Rovers possible, and the impact of your patronage cannot be overstated. To everyone who bought a ticket, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. As well as your support, dear reader. If you haven’t attended a symposium before. Allow yourself to be enlightened to the underwater world at the next symposium. I urge you to come up and chat with me about your interests, underwater or otherwise. It’s the community that makes Boston Sea Rovers possible, it’s the heart of the organization, and I’d like to take a moment to appreciate it. 

For the past 12 years that I have been attending the Boston Sea Rovers symposium, I have always been on the outside of the program, to now be invited to join such a fantastic and tight-knit community come together to support not only a common goal, but each other, is such a beautiful thing. It’s some of the stuff that maybe you don’t always see. It’s the inside jokes, the history of friendships, the compassion and empathy that members show one another that (not to get too mushy about things) really does warm my heart. It’s the kind of thing that makes me excited to come back year after year to support this newfound family and to maybe one day have the same decade-long running jokes. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Your continued support means the world to me, and I hope to catch you in the next one!