Captain Dennis said Pedro Cays prepared him for life

Forty-nine-year-old boat captain Dennis Abrahams of Treasure Beach in St. Elizabeth says living and fishing on the banks of the Pedro Cays was a treacherous life experience that has taught him how to be a man and provide for his family.

Born and raised in the community, Abraham, who also known as 'Shaba' or' Captain Dennis', is the second to last of nine siblings. He has three brothers and five sisters, and said he was forced the fend for himself at an early age, following the death of his father, Bradley Abrahams, 40 years ago.

"In 1980, I lost my father. I was nine at that time. I didn't have a lot of opportunities growing up, and my mom couldn't afford to send me to school. At 14, I ventured out to the Pedro Cays, where I honed my craft as a fisherman," said Abrahams.

Promoting education

Abrahams, who is currently serving as a director of the Breds Treasure Beach Foundation, promoting education, sports, cultural heritage and emergency healthcare in Treasure Beach, says his life experiences, while living on the Pedro Cays, have shaped him into the person he is today.

"In that period, fishing was doing very well here in Treasure Beach. It was vibrant. There was a lot of energy among fishermen going out and making good money," the former fisherman said, while sharing that a lot of the residences in the community were built by fishermen.

According to Abrahams, fishermen in Treasure Beach are always determined to build their own home and educate their children. He talks of being able send his daughter to Northern Caribbean University as a result of his hard work. He said that she is now a nurse at the University Hospital of the West Indies, while his son has just started his journey at Munro College.

"Today, if someone should ask me which college or university I went to I would tell them Pedro Cays, because what I learnt at Pedro Cays back then is what I am now surviving off today," said Abrahams.

The former fisherman is now managing director of Captain Dennis Adventure Boat Tour, a business that sees him taking people to view the beautiful coastlines of Treasure Beach, even as they get the chance to gaze at marine life, such as dolphins. He said Pedro Cays, the popular fishing hamlet off Jamaica's south coast, prepared him to become a captain of a boat; taught him how to be a provider; how to be a leader; how to manage his business; and also provided him with coping skills.

"Pedro Cays back then was like the wild west. You have to survive off your own. You don't go there and depend on people to get handout, and therefore you have to be hands-on, and so that is what let me become the person I am today," Abrahams said.