MLA takes family on early Kittiwake dive
(CNS): While there may be times when West Bay MLA Cline Glidden’s family curse him for choosing politics as a career because of the notorious demands of public life, they were unlikely to be doing it last Thursday when the privileges of office paid off for them. The back-bencher, his 13-year-old son Cline Jr and wife Gloria, who all recently received their dive certification, were among the first people to dive the Kittiwake. While the site was closed to ‘Joe diver’, the Gliddens were able to join the visiting film crews and dive the wreck the day after the historic sinking. (Photo by Courtney Platt)
Diving with crews from the Discovery Channel and National Geographic, who were chronicling the story of the Kittiwake’s scuttling in Grand Cayman’s waters, Glidden said it was one of the most thrilling experiences he has had diving since he was certified. Both film crews have followed the progress of the Kittiwake and will feature its remarkable story as the Cayman Islands’ newest dive site in upcoming documentaries.
“Having been involved in the Kittiwake project over the past few years and, more recently, participating in the topside tour while it was anchored off the West Bay Public Beach and watching the fascinating sinking process, I was quite eager to get underwater and explore this wreck that so many divers and snorkelers will visit the Cayman Islands to see,” the backbench MLA said.
Glidden had also officiated in the vessel’s dedication ceremony prior to the sinking event .
“The Kittiwake is an incredible underwater attraction – one that I encourage all Caymanians and residents to experience, whether by diving or snorkeling. Not only is this a pleasurable experience, but I am sure divers and snorkelers will come to appreciate its importance to our dive industry and tourism in general,” Glidden added.
The Kittiwake permanently and officially opened to the public on Wednesday 12 January and operators licensed by the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) are now running diving and snorkeling tours. For more information on how to dive or snorkel the wreck visit www.kittiwakecayman.com.
Category: Science and Nature
somebody just make sure he don’t fall asleep drivin that thing!
I admire you for FAMILY TIME
Congrats CJ , I really admire you for taking time wth your family .
I really wish more of our leaders especially those with young children would take more time out for their families. All too many times you seem them on the " Party Scenes" when their wifes are stuck at home with the children.
What example as they as leaders saying to the other men in our community? Especially again to other young fathers
I applaud you for taking time out with your SPORT LOVING Cline Jr!!
If you don’t spend the time with him. Then he too can connnect with the gang culture in your district. Look at each of those young men that is struggling with those issues and ask them where their dads are.
Please for God’s sake continue to use your out of work time to be
with your family ( son’s and wife) instead of what so many of our other leaders are doing and that is " flirting and chasing other women " when they should be with their wife and kids.
The men in our Country need GOOD Examples to follow when it comes to being a father and a husband.
Being with his family is his duty. Just as serving the people in his elected role is his duty.
Well done Cline.Glad you took my advice and got certified.Hopefully you will now understand why so many of us brag about how wonderful our Marine Environment is and how important it is to save it at all costs for future generations.I hope you will take up my invitation to come out on a dive with me over a week end sometime?You think we could get our Premier to try a dive sometime?It would be nice for him to see first hand what he is so hell bent on destroying.
I respect that Mr Cline Glidden and his family have learned to dive. It would be good for more Caymanians to learn about this sport and see what is beneath the waters around Cayman.
It has always puzzled me that some Caymanians seem afraid of the water. The seafaring history of the country taken into account would have lead me to believe that scuba diving would be the logical and preferred career choice for young Caymanians.
I have dived 12 mile banks and when describing that experience with Caymanians they are shocked at this fact.
Can someone explain this fear of the water or of the marine life found there.
There are many people who do not dive and have no desire to dive. There are many people who would not jump out of a plane. Just because you want to, doesn’t mean everybody else has to.
‘I respect that Mr Cline Glidden and his family have learned to dive.’ Why? Some of us would rather respect the sea world as it was meant to be – natural.
Yea, I suspect solving a real problem for his constituents wouldn’t be as thrilling for him!
I don’t know how these people do it!! Here’s a guy who spent the last 3 years supposed representing the people of Cayman but was in law school full time. While I commend him getting this degree I have to wonder if it was done at the expense of the people?
Well …. I guess it’s better than the others who are NOT educating themselves and out there womanzing and partying all the time. Alright then …
He is a cayman type leader. Get used to it.
Whats even more amazing is that during his two years as Councilor for Tourism, according to the radio yesterday morning Tourism arrival numbers are up both for cruise and stayover visitors and the Tourism budget spend is down by 7 million dollars.
He obviously is doing a good job all around really "A Better Way Forward" taking care of personal as well as doing what we elected him for.
Much better than our last Minister of Tourism whose motto was spend more but do less.
The question you need to ask is whether it was full-time or part-time?
For too long Caymanians have neglected their own serious intellectual development, whilst allowing others to come here and be educated at our expense. Only when we wake up to this will we progress. The cliche champagne pockets and beer tastes is so relevant.
How many foreignors have earned degrees at our expense in the private and public sectors would be a good study.
An excellent family outing.
"While there may be times when West Bay MLA Cline Glidden’s family curse him for choosing politics as a career because of the notorious demands of public life"
Give us all a break!
Demands of public life? You mean travelling the world in 1st class style and living the life that he now lives that has been gained from the life of politics, is demands of public life?
I can gurantee that the starving and hurting people of the Cayman Islands, would exchange their livestyle for the luxurious lifestyle of Mr Glidden especially that it is a lifestyle greatly achieved from being a politician.
So I doubt very much that any member of his family has ever cursed him for having the "good luck" of being elected as an MLA as their lives are greatly enhanced because of his public life.
Did they pay the entrance fee? Leading by example, right!?
Wow – good gesture by Cline and the family.
(Now, how about your personal view on the proposed East End Port?)
I guess from an economic standpoint more Caymanians should show more interest in diving.
However, not I!
I have too much respect for the underwater world to drop my gill-less behind down there.
Furthermore, the death rate seems to be rather high for my liking – every other week we read of yet another tourist losing their life in our regional waters.
I can’t speak for anyone else – but I would feel like a right jackass dying while looking for fun underwater … no ‘sah!
Wrong my friend.
I have 5600+ dives and lived, for many years, acreoss the street from my office under the Lobster Pot.
The biggst danger I faced daily was being run over.
Ron Kipp
"I would feel like a right jackass dying while looking for fun underwater"
I’m sure the experience of feeling like a "right jackass" is not new to you….no ‘sah!
There’s a difference between being actually being educated and enjoying an activity such as SCUBA diving and getting your certification and thinking you’re King Neptune.
Unless it’s a shark attack (which is rare), or some other situation completely out of one’s control, the only person to blame for a diving accident is the individual diving.
I am "Thu, 01/13/2011 – 17:43"
To all respondents:
To each his own I say.
I will trust my personal natural instinct and keep my self above water.
You enjoy tho, and be safe.
CG has found his calling – stay diving buddy, and leave politics alone.