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Sea Kayaking -
Meet the Staff
See photos of our rescue training
Captain Brian Goodremont -
Kayak Guide - Operations Manager
Brian has been with us since 1996. He first came to San Juan Island to do orca research with The Whale Museum.
His degree is in Experimental/Behavioral Psycology.
Brian grew up in Ohio and now lives on San Juan Island full time. Brian wears many hats.
He:captains boats, leads kayak tours, hires staff, oversees the day to day operations of the company and has recently added to his list the overseeing the building of our new vessel Sea Lion.
When not working he enjoys ultra-running &cycling in the summers, nordic &telemark skiing
in the winters. In the fall he is in the woods seeking north american
ungulates with his stick bow. High on his list are spending time with his wife, family, &friends and
being in the outdoors.
Brent Molsberry - Naturalist Kayak Guide
This is his 5th year with us.
His degree is in Biology. He is an avid mountain biker, down
hill &telemark skier, white water &sea kayak, sailor
&wind surfer. He is a volunteer fire fighter and certified
EMT, along with numerous other certifications and accomplishments. This winter he added 'captain' to that list.
AKA Iron man, Brent was in the Subaru "Primal Quest" race in 2004. A grueling sea kayaking, climbing and biking race. Perhaps you saw it on TV?
2005 he entered the Scott Firefighters Challenge held in the Bank of America Tower in Seattle, and won FIRST PLACE! He climbed 69 flights in 11 minutes 8 seconds wearing full bunker gear and carrying a compressed air bottle for an added 50 lbs.
Deborah Fredback - Kayak Guide
Deborah is now a full time naturalist/kayak guide. She started with us helping at the desk, dock and as apprentice kayak guide. Deborah spent 9 years and thousands of hours studying ballet and danced with the Evergreen City Ballet. She says she has given ballet up. She is currently majoring in geology. Some of Deborah's favorite things are running, exercising, bicycling, anything active and smiling.
Katlyn Griese - Kayak Guide
Her 2nd season with us, she started as dock & apprentice kayak guide. She is from Alaska, grew up in the out-of-doors and says every hike there was an opportunity to learn about plants and animals. She has worked as a life guard (in Palmer Alaska)been a Lab Tech for Fish and Game and worked on a 160 acre organic Alaskan farm. She is an Outdoor Recreation Major. Last year she cut all her hair off for Locks Of Love,(they fashion it into wigs for cancer patients). AKA 'Grizzie' she loves hunting, fishing, kayaking, and anything out-of-doors.
Anna Stephenson - Kayak Guide
has her degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. Her studies have given her an excellent base knowledge of ecosystems and the natural world, a perfect fit for a whale watching and wildlife naturalist and kayak guide. She came to the islands from Chico CA. Anna's other interest are basket ball, singing (chorales), boating and kayaking. You may also have her as your guide on the whale watching boat.
Zachary Steel - Kayak Guide
has his degree in biology with a minor in Latin American studies (he is proficient in Spanish). Sea Kayaking, Backpacking, Climbing, Skiing/Snowboarding, Soccer and Intramural sports are what he enjoys when not working.
Zac, Zack or Zach - has done field research on the birds of Costa Rica and worked as a lab assistant, helping to lead field trips for an ecology class. P.S His parents had a dog named Zack before he was born.
Rebecca Clarke - Kayak Guide
Fondly called Becca, she has become "The Whale Princes". Her kayak tours frequently see orcas. Are they looking for her or is is coincidence? Prior to joining us, she work in Chugach National Forest in Alaska as a naturalist. Becca has taught environmental education and interpretation. Her BS in Wildlife Education and minor in biology are a perfect fit to what she loves do to and talk about. When not working, she loves kayaking and track &field.
Margo Thorp - Appointment Desk
This is her 3nd year with us at the appointment desks. Margo just got her degree in Elementary Education and will be teaching English. She spent time in Enland teaching this past winter. Margo grew up on boats and spent many summers on Pearl Island. In her spare time she enjoys backpacking, sailing, kayaking, and fishing. She grew up in the Puget Sound and her family has a cabin near Deception Pass where she was raised spending my summers there fishing, digging clams, observing Bald Eagles and Blue Herons - and absolutely loving the area. You will also be meeting her as Naturalist on the whale watching boats.
Tiffany Spindeff -Appointment Desk
This is 'Tiffs' 2nd season. She is a permanent resident of San Juan Island-graduated high school from here. Tiffany is already world traveled having visited Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Korea and has back packed from Austria to France. Fall of 2006 she spent in New Zealand. Her major in college was Horiculture, but after spending time with naturalists, whale watching boats etc. She is now thinking about becoming a whale watching naturalist guide. When not working Tiff loves her bicycle, jogging and spending time with her family.
Nick Schuller - Manager Appointment Desk
Nick comes to us with lots of background in management. He managed approximately 200 staff in a previous life. Along with his consumate people skills, he is also a skilled videographer and photographer. When not working he can be found photographing, boating and kayaking. Nick has lived on San Juan Island for six years and been in the general area, well . . . a few decades.
Kasse Rupp - Dock and Apprentice Kayak Guide
Kasse grew up hiking, kayaking and camping in the Wenatchee area. She has started the season off helping on the dock and answering phones. She is now an apprentice guide or 2nd guide. Kasse is majoring in Biochemistry. She says she wants to help cure cancer. We all think she will.
Emily Danford - Appointment Desk
Emily is from Poulsbo, WA and grew up sailing around the San Juan Islands with her family during the summer. She is now enrolled in the University of Washington and still enjoys her summers up on the islands. In addition to retail and customer service experience, she has also spent much of her free time volunteering in a special education classroom. When not working, studying, or volunteering, her favorite things to do are skiing, soccer, hiking, pickleball, sailing, and traveling. Emily has recently taken a trip to Thailand and is planning her next adventure to the South Pacific (New Zealand?!)
Jennifer Weurding - Dock &Appointment Desk
Jennifer is an accounting major, which is perfect for helping us out. She is an athlete (college basketball scholarship) and avid marine mammal enthusiast. At 6'2" she is stands out in several ways. She is from Georgia and has been nick named 'Dixie'. When not working, Dixie enjoys reading, card games and traveling.
Pat Devlin - Accounting &Admin
Pat started out as the 'accounting department' and quickly became everything else too. Now going into her 2nd year here, she keeps track of staff, money, phones, and tons of other things. She makes sure that nothing falls through the cracks. She's our rock.
Colleen Johansen - Naturalist
On Staff full time since 1995.
Mostly at the appointment desk, behind a computer updating the website &answering your emails
at the admin office, also a kayak guide naturalist on the whale watch. Colleen enjoyed The Whale Museums naturalist class so much, she has taken it four times.
A full time resident of San Juan Island since 1993, she has lived in Truckee, CA, Kona, HI & Canandaigua, NY. She has a varied background:degree in music, degree in gemology, years in retail and other careers. Colleen loves travel and has been to almost every state in the US plus Brazil, Costa Rica, Fiji, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, England and Belgium. And looking forward to more exotic countries. Things she enjoys: birding, working out, jazz & classical music, gardening, learning new things, updating skills, using her digital camera capturing staff and spending time with her goat.
She sometimes credits her good life to her husband, but mostly to just expecting life to be good. See his photo above.
This is Muffassa. He was our official San Juan Safaris Roche Harbor greeter and eater of corn.
Every morning he would come to the cabinet where the corn was kept and quack at it until we gave in. He would then preen, do some greeting, then sleep for most of the day on our dock.
This year will mark his 4th year that he has been absent. He returned to us 3 years consecutively.
Anyone knowing his whereabouts, please contact us. We miss him.
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It must be summer
Hey Kasse, your not tired are you?? It must be August.
Kayak Guide Phong, Desk Kristen, Desk Tiffany, center Kayak Guide 'Grissie', Kayak Guide &Dock Kasse &Desk Emily
Kasse moving up and out as apprentice kayak guide
Nick &Emily at the Roche Harbor appointment desk. Which phone is ringing? How many on that boat?
Miss Deborah just after a kayak tour with Kasse in the background readying the boats, again.
Becca (the 'speedy' whale princess) with ice cream
Kasse in the Hungry Duck Lounge - Your not tired, are you?
Rule #1 Do not stand up in the kayak
Did you put sunscreen on?????
Goodremont pumping boat out at kayak guide training
Enthusiatic or what? Becca &Anna
kayak guides Anna &Zack (aka Zach)
Emily-Up the creek without a paddle (or vest) and still laughing
Brian, rare to see him guiding these days
Margo at the Roche Harbor appointment desk.
Kasse assistant guide paddles off
"Do not let guests stand up in their boat" A rule not to be broken. Brian paddling a triple kayak while standing in it.
Becca (the whale princess) giving a paddling/safety lesson
Anna giving a tidepool talk to a crab
Brent ready to patch fiberglass on kayaks that have been paddled into rocks.
Phones. Margo &Brian on them.
Grissie getting ready to head out
kayak guide Deborah
don't take my picture
Naturalist Colleen Johansen taken by one of the guests from Bulgaria August 5, 2005
Kayak guide Brian Goodremont-
"Don't take my picture Colleen"
Mr. Crab awaits kayak guide Brents return
Chowing down in our favorite summer lounge . . . The Hungry Duck Lounge
Bill Wright-owner/creator of San Juan Safaris. A rare relaxed moment.
Like you ride? Tip your Guide!
Hanging in the Hungry Duck Lounge
Deborah Fredback - Does that camera work? Ahhhhh, yeah. I think it is working.
What?
Kaitlyn Greise. Too long. Now called just "Grissie"
Tiffany with phone glued to ear. Did you use "Gorilla Glue"? That stuff works great!
Grissie, Tiff and Deb - a quick break at the M.A.C (Marine Adventure Center) at Roche Harbor, San Juan Island. July 25, 2005
This is WAY hot for San Juan Island. About 85 degrees and requires a shower. Deborah and Kailtyn- aka Grissie.
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