About Us
It is truly our kayak guides that make the company. It is the kayak guides that turn a good trip into a fantastic trip. Most of our kayak guides have been with Kingfisher for years and it is because of them that we have many guests returning year after year.
"It actually felt more like being on a trip with friends than with guides. They were of course great guides, cooks, and paddlers, but it was other things that really made the trip special." K.A. from USA
All of our kayak guides are certified with the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of British Columbia. As a company we encourage and support our guides in continually improving their kayaking, interpretive and leadership skills to in turn offer you the best kayaking vacation possible.
Andrew Jones - with over 20 years of kayaking on both the east and west coasts of Canada plus the Caribbean, Andrew eagerly shares his passion for kayaking and the wilderness with our guests. As owner of Kingfisher, Andrew's goal is to ensure all guests have a fantastic time on whichever trip they choose. More +/-
Don Webster - 2012 is
Don's eighth season with Kingfisher. Don was raised in Northern
Ontario, and spent his early childhood guiding fishermen to his
favourite fishing holes at his families fishing lodge. His love of
kayaking started when he answered a ‘kayak for sale’ ad. Its
bargain price could perhaps be attributed to its ‘slightly burnt’
condition from a warehouse fire. Nevertheless, it floated, and
launched his career.
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Angela Bueckert - 2012 is Angela's fourth season
guiding with Kingfisher. Angela’s guiding career includes sea
kayaking, white water paddling, and ski guiding. She has guided
throughout Canada and Asia. In 2009 Angela completed a three
month sea kayak expedition along the pacific coast from Galiano Island, BC to Glacier Bay, Alaska. You can
read about her expedition at the
Crossing Borders Expedition Blog.
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Liam McNeil - Having grown up on Vancouver Island, Liam has spent most of his life on or around the water. 2012 is Liam's second season working with Kingfisher, and his tenth season kayak guiding around Vancouver Island. Having paddled the westcoast of Vancouver Island, and circumnavigated Moresby Island in Haida Gwaii, it is easy to say kayaking is a way of life for Liam.
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Ali Hunt - 2012 is Ali's third season guiding with
Kingfisher. Ali was born and raised on northern Vancouver
Island. She developed a love for the ocean and all it has to offer
while growing up in a small First Nations reserve called T’sakis.
She comes from the Kwakiutl people and a family very rich in
culture. As a child she spent countless hours paddling traditional
dugout canoes built by her father, including a trip from Port
Hardy to Victoria.
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Silke Hockemeyer - 2012 is Silke's first season guiding
with Kingfisher. Fluent in German, Silke has six years experience guiding international visitors
on kayak
tours to Vancouver Island's west coast and the mainland's Sunshine Coast. BC is home for her and kayaking is how she spends the best
months of the year. Photography, studying natural history, and almost
anything to do with the outdoors are some of her favourite past times.
When she’s not on the ocean you can find her on one of many mountains.
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Ben Groundwater - 2012 is Ben's first season guiding with
Kingfisher. Ben was born and raised on the BC coast, spending his summers exploring
it's islands and inlets by means of his fathers 24 foot sailboat. Constantly looking for good fishing and tiny passages lead him to discover his love of guiding and BC's vast wilderness.
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