Ocean Dreams Founder Bryan A.K. Christopher
Bryan A.K. Christopher, a BVI-trained captain and founder of Ocean Dreams, turned a childhood passion for the water into a full-service maritime business. Raised in Tortola and trained with the US Coast Guard, he runs the family operation with his sister, offering water taxis, tours and vessel services vital to the Territory's tourism and transport sectors.
Christopher traces his lifelong love of the sea to childhood afternoons spent working with the late Ira Smith of Smith Ferry after the early death of his mother. A product of Ebenzer Thomas Primary School and BVI High School in Road Town, Christopher later trained with the US Coast Guard and earned a 100-ton captain's license, a qualification that underpins his business today.
Speaking to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) on December 23, 2025, Christopher recalled moving to St. John after high school to work at Caneel Bay Resort. There he learned hands-on vessel operations and guest service, moving from crew member to captain. Those experiences formed the foundation for Escape Plus Power Boat Charters, which evolved into Ocean Dreams in about 2008.
Ocean Dreams began modestly, focused on safely transporting guests. Christopher said the company built on family tradition: his grandfather had been a fisherman and his father, Alford W. Christopher, worked as a cab driver in the BVI for more than 40 years. The family bond strengthened after their mother died, and Christopher credits his father with sacrificing his life savings to buy the first boat and supporting the siblings as they launched the enterprise.
Today, Christopher and his sister, Shleby L.M. Christopher, operate Ocean Dreams as a family business. Services include water taxi and ground transfers, day trips, island hopping, dinner and sunset cruises, cargo transfers, limousine and yacht tender service, haul-and-launch, island land tours and worldwide vessel delivery.
The company emphasises safety, professional service and well-maintained vessels as core priorities for both residents and visitors. The family legacy continues: Christopher has three children, two of whom are licensed captains and one who runs a successful cargo transportation business.
He said seeing them follow the sea makes him proud and reinforced his belief that steady focus and passion lead to success. For BVI residents, businesses like Ocean Dreams play a dual role — supporting the local tourism industry and providing essential inter-island transport and cargo services.
Christopher urged young people to pick a passion and pursue it with consistency, acknowledging the hard work required but promising reward for dedication. Ocean Dreams can be found on Facebook and Instagram at oceandreamswatertaxi and online at www.oceandreamswatertaxi.com. As a homegrown, family-run operator, it remains one of the Territory's familiar names on the water.
Primary source: VINO