Callyn Holder

Crew & Staff

Bio to come.

Geoff Dunstan

Crew & Staff

Bio to come.

Jeff Reynolds

Deckhand and Naturalist

Decades ago, a jellyfish stung Jeff and changed the course of his life. He was a teenager, at summer camp in Halifax, Canada. “I realized I needed to learn more about the underwater world that caused me such pain,” he says.

We’re not sure how this knowledge informed his next jellyfish encounters, but he’s now a biologist with a degree focused on marine biology. His impressive experience includes classifying the biodiversity of glass sponge gardens using ROV footage, with world expert Dr. Vera Tunnicliffe, and helping to biologically classify Alaska’s entire shoreline.

Studying the ocean has also led to working on the ocean since 2007 as a sailboat captain, yacht crew member and keeper. An avid sailing racer, Jeff has successfully accomplished the Victoria-Maui Race in under 15 days and continues to race in and around Victoria when not working for Maple Leaf Adventures.

He’s also a kayaker, surfer, scuba diver and adventure traveller. To top off these skills, Jeff is one of our brilliant photographers at Maple Leaf Adventures. You can follow him on Instagram to keep up with his stunning images and escapades. Jeff’s website is jkreyphoto.com if you would like to get a hold of him regarding his photography.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Biology – University of Victoria
• Small Vessel Operators Proficiency Radio Operators Proficiency
• Maritime Commercial
• Marine Fist Aid
• Marine Emergency Duties
• A1 Marine Emergency Duties
• A2 Marine Emergency Duties
• A3 Food Safe
• Bear Aware Workplace
• Hazardous Materials Information System Safety at Sea via the BC Sailing Association

Philip Stone

Mate & Photography Instructor

Photography has been a passion and a part of Phil’s life since childhood. What started as a hobby gradually grew to become a key part of his adventures and business.

Phil’s photographs appeared in hundreds of magazines and newspapers including Climbing, Snowboard Canada, Rock & Ice, Explore, National Geographic Traveler, Backcountry, Couloir, The Province, Globe and Mail along with many regional publications.

Combining a love of writing with photography Phil has written and published a series of guidebooks, an adventure sports magazine, and a community newspaper. Multi-talented, Phil can also be found behind the wheel of Swell, navigating the coastal waters as a Mate.

Polly Cox

Crew & Staff

Bio to come

Sarah Powell

Mate

Sarah was born in Victoria and grew up boating and fishing along the Pacific Coast. Every summer was spent cruising the ocean in her family’s boat. As an adult, Sarah had a difficult time giving up her summer jobs on the water, despite completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology.

She decided to join the Canadian Coast Guard full-time and pursue a career as a mariner, where she sailed every corner of the coast, from Southern Vancouver Island to the Canadian Arctic.

Sarah has spent over a decade in the whale-watching business, sharing her excitement and passion for the marine environment she calls her home. She loves showing people things they’ve never seen before. “Unexpected encounters are always the highlight of exploring”, Sarah says. From fishing and diving to hiking and skiing, Sarah can usually be found outdoors exploring with her dog Perez.

Simon Ager

Deckhand

Though he was born in landlocked Alberta, Canada, Simon has dedicated his life and career to being on the water. With over 1,500 days at sea on global marine conservation campaigns, he has a keenly developed sense of the interconnectedness of BC’s coastal environment.

Deeply moved by his experiences studying Pacific salmon populations, Simon is committed to educating and protecting the stunning, yet fragile ecosystem he calls his home. 

At sea, Simon has a wide range of experiences that allow him to play many roles. Whether he is wearing the hat of a Mate, Able Seaman, Photographer or Ships Manager, he always looks forward to meeting like-minded people who are excited about experiencing the natural beauty of the BC coast.

Simon loves a good laugh, Van Gogh, and any flora that will attract the bees! He hopes to one day become a National Geographic Photographer. 

Terese Ayre

Deckhand

Terese otherwise known as “Tree” to the Maple Leaf Adventures family, is both a tall ship sailor and a graphic designer. Her visual and three-dimensional skills make Terese a valued member of the maintenance team every time there is sanding, varnishing, painting and detail work to be done on the ships.

After a career in Vancouver in graphic design, she changed her life and signed up as a trainee on the tall ship Picton Castle, out of Nova Scotia Canada. On this 179-foot barque, she sailed around the world, learning seamanship and sailing skills and exploring new continents. Since her return to Canada, Tree has crewed aboard the schooner Maple Leaf and more recently aboard the tugboat Swell. She lives in Victoria and divides her time between graphic design and crewing with Maple Leaf Adventures. In addition to deck-handing and ship maintenance at Maple Leaf, Terese has designed t-shirts and other materials and helped in the office in many ways. Terese also dedicates time to volunteering with the Maritime Museum of BC.

Education & Certifications

• Small Vessel Operators Proficiency Radio Operator Card
• Maritime Commercial
• Marine First Aid
• Marine Emergency Duties
• A2 Food Safe

Zahailey Golden

Crew & Staff

Bio to come