Meet our Expedition Leaders

	Expedition Leader, Kevin Martin Kevin, a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) by the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), has traveled all over North America's west coast as an Expedition Leader. He likes to get a feeling for an area’s geology, being able to read the landscape like a book, and then study the biology and botany, with an emphasis on history, commerce, economics and sociology as well.
	Expedition Leader, Amy Miller Amy realized shortly after moving to Maui from Philadelphia that her degree in education would be better utilized in the natural environment. She has worked on boats as a naturalist in Hawaii for 13 years and Alaska for 7 years. Her passion for the outdoors and wildlife prompted her to get her Captain's license where she has worked doing humpback whale research, snorkeling and wildlife tours for the last 10 years. Sharing her enthusiasm about the outdoors is her true passion.
	Expedition Leader, Nitakuwa Barrett A graduate from Loyola University in New Orleans, Nitakuwa holds a degree in Communications and a minor in Biology. Following graduation, she traveled to Hawaii and began her career as a naturalist, and truly fell in love with the ocean. She has worked with students of all ages in Maui, visiting schools to teach about Hawaii’s wildlife, working at the Maui Ocean Center as an educator, assisting marine mammal researchers and working on boats leading whale watches and snorkel tours.
	Expedition Leader, Vanessa Franson Growing up in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains, surrounded by forests and cold marine waters inspired Vanessa's love of the natural world and ease in the outdoors. Working originally as a deckhand on cargo ships in the Caribbean, she realized her degree in Education and passion for people would be better suited to wilderness cruising. She earned her Captain's license and became a mate with American Safari Cruises in 2002. Vanessa has also worked with youth maritime programs, sail training and film, in New York, and in marine research and conservation in Madagascar.
	Expedition Leader, Richard Tanner Richard Tanner began his career as a naturalist/expedition leader back in 1992 while working aboard an Orca watching tour boat from Bellingham WA. After 7 years he was asked by the Seattle Aquarium to lead trips from Westport WA to observe the northerly migration of California Grey Whales off the Washington coast. This sealed his fate and he has been working aboard small cruise ships for the last 11 years. These have taken him from the Sea of Cortes to California Wine Country, The Columbia River to Southeast Alaska. This type of intimate cruising has fueled Richard's passion for sharing the wonders of the natural world with hundreds of people that enjoy vacations apart from the traditional large ship venues. When not onboard, Richard will be found traveling abroad himself (a one month backpacking adventure to Costa Rica was his latest, New Zealand his next). Fly-fishing and riding his vintage 1948 Indian motorcycle are some of his other passions.
	Expedition Leader, Beth Pike Originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Beth was born and raised on the water and has turned her love of the outdoors and the ocean into a lifetime career. Beth brings many years of boat handling, education, and onboard service gained while working as a naturalist and captain on charter boats in Maui. She also spent five years conducting research on critically endangered right whales along the East Coast of the U.S., and has extensive background in marine mammals and ocean ecosystems. Beth recently completed a Master’s degree in Coastal Environmental Management at Duke University.