Meet The Crew

Our crew loves sharing their coastal knowledge in a relaxed and informative manner. While committed to your comfort and safety, they know how to have fun!

Behind the scenes and onboard the Columbia III, we’ll do our best to ensure you have the best tour possible and return home with a new appreciation and a deeper connection with the natural world.

Ross Campbell

Owner/Operator

Ross, the owner/operator of the Columbia III since 2005, is your dedicated captain for a memorable sea adventure. His top priority is your safety, and his sense of humor and captivating stories will keep you entertained throughout the voyage. Ross’s love and meticulous care for the ship are evident in every detail, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience at sea.

With a diverse background that includes owning a 35′ tug, crewing on a 52′ salmon troller, and 17 years as a helicopter pilot, flying various helicopters locally, Ross is well-equipped to navigate the B.C. coast. He is the custodian of one of B.C.’s most renowned historical vessels, and his expertise in marine safety guarantees a fantastic journey for both seasoned mariners and first-time explorers.

Steve Schellenberg

Skipper

Captain Steve first began working in eco-tourism in the early 2000s. With a tourism diploma from North Island College and an adventurous spirit, he became a successful guide, leading tours in British Columbia, Belize, New Zealand, the Arctic and the Antarctic. In addition to guiding kayaking and boat tours, he also guided guests and film crews (including National Geographic) to see the polar bears of Hudson Bay for 10 years.  Steve has been sailing and working on boats on the BC coast for decades and first joined the Columbia III as a guide in 2008. In 2021 he transitioned to the role of skipper. Steve lives on Sonora Island with his partner Frieda and is able to walk to work from their homestead when we do winter and spring maintenance on the Columbia III. Always prepared to crack a smile, Steve will be looking forward to helping you explore the wonders of the BC Coast.

Jonas Fineman

Skipper

Born and raised on the Pacific coast, Jonas’ relationship with marine environments has been lifelong. He has travelled extensively in pursuit of remote surfing experiences and has spent over two decades as a commercial mariner. His career at sea began in earnest in the gaffing pit of a 36-foot, double-ended Salmon troller…built in 1929. The hook and line and harvest soon became supplemented by trap fishing for Dungeness Crab off the Oregon Coast and Golden King Crab in the Aleutian Islands. Eventually, Jonas found himself in the North Sea, crewing aboard a luxury sailing yacht. Two Atlantic crossings later, he left the Mediterranean and Caribbean behind and settled into life in British Columbia. Based on Cortes Island, Jonas has been guiding and skippering aboard expedition-style sailing and motor vessels between Victoria, BC and Juneau, Alaska, since 2012. When not at sea, Jonas enjoys sharing adventures with his wife, Amy and young daughters, Mila and Ava.

Tavish Campbell

Skipper

From the decks of expedition sailboats, fishing vessels and research boats, to charter vessels, dive operations, tall ships and kayaks, Tavish Campbell has spent his life exploring the coastline of British Columbia above and below water. Over 25,000 miles of offshore sailing has taken him from ports in Papua New Guinea to Norway, traveling aboard tall ships and delivering sailing yachts. Growing up on a boat-access-only island gave Tavish an early start on the ocean. While marine ecotourism continues to be the focus of Tavish’s work, his love for the BC Coast has led him to conservation advocacy that has been recognized on a global scale. Tavish’s energy and enthusiasm for the natural world is almost as contagious as his love of sharing a good adventure with his travel companions as both skipper and kayak guide.

Farlyn Campbell

Skipper

Farlyn, another one of our competent Columbia III captains, has been drawn to all things marine above and below the water from an early age. She has  been a mariner on our local BC waters and completed a few oceanic sailing expeditions to the South Pacific. Farlyn and her partner currently own and operate a small commercial salmon troller and log salvage boat. She is deeply committed to coastal conservation issues and gives much of her time and energy to research and advocacy for our Pacific salmon and coastal old growth forests. Farlyn is also just as happy in the galley as one of Columbia’s chefs producing delicious meals and seeing everyone onboard is well fed as she is behind the wheel of the Columbia III. Her calm nature, confidence and twinkle in her eye are well suited to keeping guests safe, at ease and smiling.

Luke Hyatt

Skipper

Luke Hyatt grew up on the Queen Charlotte Islands where he spent his childhood working on his father’s fish boat and developing his passion and extensive knowledge of the natural world. As a teenager he worked as a biologist’s assistant before becoming a kayak guide and boat captain. He has lived on Sonora Island with his wife Miray for the past 20 years and has been with Mothership Adventures since the beginning. He works as guide, skipper, naturalist and wood worker on the mothership and has built a beautiful island home for his family.

Miray Campbell

Logistics Coordinator

Miray Campbell grew up on Sonora Island and became a sea kayak guide at the age of 17. For four summers she expedition kayak guided (mostly in the Johnstone Strait area) and worked at the local Orca whale research station before she promoted the idea of Mothership Adventures to her parents. She has played a key role in the company for the past 16 years as guide, cook and company coordinator. She currently takes care of the mothership office at her Sonora Island home while raising her two young kids and growing an enormous garden. As her children are growing up she occasionally comes along for cameo appearances during our paddling season.

Sarah Hauser

Guide

Sarah began her guiding career after taking the Canadian Outdoor Leadership Training Program back in 1997. Since then, she has been working and adventuring on the BC coast. Kayak guiding has allowed Sarah to explore many areas around Vancouver Island, the BC Central Coast and Haida Gwaii, as well as Baja California and Antarctica. Keen to learn more, Sarah has also pursued boat driving skills and worked as a whale-watching guide for a few summers. She loves all fauna, from small intertidal creatures to Humpback whales, and enthusiastically shares her love of the coast with our Mothership Adventures guests. Sarah calls the Comox Valley home, and when not at sea, she can be found riding her mountain bike or adventuring on skis in the mountains.

Robin Humphreys

Guide

Robin spent a large part of her childhood around boats of various sizes, from homemade rafts to wooden tall ships. Her familiarity with the nautical world is clear as soon as you meet her aboard the Columbia III. Robin has been kayak guiding since 2011, and during that time she has also expanded her skills through personal trips that have taken her to Southeast Alaska (by kayak!), down the Columbia River and several other extended BC Coastal expeditions. Robin’s never ending energy and gracious guiding style is sure to contribute to all aspects of your trip. When she’s not guiding in the kayaks and on shore, Robin is also one of the ship’s chefs. If you are lucky enough to join one of the trips when Robin is cooking, you will experience her passion for fresh, healthy and delicious food, and of course some sweet treats as well!

Al Wylie

Guide

Al grew up in Coquitlam, BC, and discovered their love for kayaking in the TRU Adventure Studies program. Al has been guiding ever since and is an enthusiastic adventurer, photographer and dedicated birder. They have paddled all over the BC coast and spent time guiding in the clear waters of the Bahamas. Given the opportunity, they can be found sitting by tide pools for hours at a time, watching the lives of the many tiny creatures unfolding slowly in the still water. When not guiding, Al can be found climbing, skiing, high-fiving their dog, snacking and finding new and narrow places to squeeze their kayak into.

Lé Chandler

Guide

Drawn in by days spent by the ocean and in the mountains, Lé made Vancouver Island home 12 years ago. Lé began working as an outdoor educator, inspiring youths’ connection and sense of belonging in the natural world. Lé’s fun-loving, playful energy led them from outdoor education into kayak guiding, where they enjoy meeting new folks and sharing in the magic of the marine ecosystem. Lé’s passion for kayaking is fuelled by their curiosity and love of exploring BC’s remote coastline. Outside of guiding, Lé is an elementary school teacher, avid gardener and parent to an awesome toddler in the Cowichan Valley, traditional territory of the Quw’utsun people.

Daniel Nammour

Guide

Dan has guided trips in boats of one kind or another in a variety of environments, from river trips through the deserts of the American Southwest to kayak mothership tours through the fjordlands of Patagonia to expedition sea kayaking amongst the sandy cays and blue waters of the Bahamas. He calls the BC Coast home and has spent years guiding kayak expeditions and crewing on boats up and down the coast. His favourite animal is the barnacle.

Kristina Purcell

Chef

Kristina, who has been part of the Columbia IIII team since 2014, owns and operates a farm-stay AirBnB on Cortes Island. Much of her time is taken with the care and milking of her goats and crafting wickedly tasty homemade cheeses, whilst also being a lead cook for the renowned Hollyhock campus. After cooking for over 120 people a night, Kris revels in the intimacy of the Columbia III and the ever-changing views out her galley window. She’s a pro and the guests continue to rave of her delicious meals in the logbook.

Carly Mersereau

Chef

Carly followed her love of bread and butter to France, where she trained and apprenticed as a pastry chef.  She cut her teeth in the bakeries of Toronto, but has happily traded in skyscrapers for the towering trees of Cortes.  When not cooking on the Columbia III, you’ll find her slinging sourdough at the farmer’s market, wrangling cows, or quietly growing vegetables in her garden.

Frieda Humphreys

Chef

Frieda was raised on Maurelle Island, where she spent her childhood preparing wild, foraged and garden fresh food. These ingredients are still what drives her passion in the culinary world today. Almost nothing brings Frieda more joy than seeing friends and family sitting down together creating memories over a delicious meal and she is thrilled to be able to assist in creating these moments aboard the Columbia III. Being raised on a small island meant that Frieda spent lots of time in boats as a child and young adult which helped foster a love for the BC coast. She looks forward to creating tasty meals for you in such a beautiful environment.

Rachel Muehlenberg

Digital Marketing Strategist & Coordinator

Rachel brings over a decade of experience in marine adventure tourism to her role as a digital marketing strategist and coordinator. As a former full-time whale-watching skipper and wilderness guide, Rachel has a deep passion for the outdoors and coastal British Columbia. Rachel specializes in crafting content strategies and leverages her industry knowledge to connect with our online audiences on a more profound level. She believes in the power of storytelling to drive digital marketing success and works behind the scenes to share Mothership Adventures with the online world.

Her digital marketing business is called Watershd Co.