The thrill

An unexpected visitor! We hooked this octopus on a fishing trip, took a picture, and let the octopus go.

I have given over a thousand tours or charters in my dozen years of guiding here in Ketchikan, but when I untie the lines and push the boat off the dock, I feel an old, familiar thrill returning:

What will we see? How will the day go? What kinds of stories might we tell each other? What new stories might take shape?

There is no knowing until you're out there, and no two days are ever quite the same:

Different tides, different winds, different weather.

Hearing (but not seeing) whale spouts on a rainy, foggy day.

Seeing (but not hearing) whale spouts on a sunny, breezy day.

Salmon, popping up out of the water.

The rip of the reel against a big one.

The peace of getting off shore, away from the crowds, and breathing it all in, this place where the ocean meets mountainous, forested islands.

I choose this work in part because I love the adventure, and in part because I enjoy people. I want to be at your side while you share in this grand adventure: an outing upon the waters of Ketchikan, Alaska.

A chance to get a taste of the life here.

This is the thrill that jolts my heart when we get underway. It's one I hope to share with you.

It is January as I type this, and summer will arrive in a blink. My head gets pulled in a dozen directions as I try to get this startup on its firmest footing for the season. When I get too wound up in the hows and the what-ifs and the what-abouts of getting this thing going, I remind myself of that thrill...and remember what this is for: to give you the best tour that I possibly can, and to make these tours accessible to as many people as possible.

I hope that you and your travel companions will join me!