Greg began guiding sea kayak tours in '99 in the San Juan Islands with Sea Quest Expeditions and Zoetic Research, while spending the winters up in the mountains. Greg has sat as the tourism representative for the Washington State Oil Spill Advisory Council and was involved in the Citizens Advisory Committee for the City of Seattle's Shoreline Master Program Update.
Greg WhittakerMost recently, Greg began a new outdoor store in West Seattle, Mountain to Sound Outfitters. Providing top notch gear and advice for people is a passion that continues as he develops additional sustainable tourism opportunities.
Greg also operates the Seattle Ski Shuttle. Fewer cars...more fun is our motto! Join us in the winter for some NW Pow!
Kara has also been sea kayaking since 1999 and is the first to point
out any bird sightings on the water (she earned her PhD in urban bird
ecology)! She is the Staff Scientist and Policy Analyst at the Washington Forest Law Center
and volunteers to help monitor and promote the conservation of local
Purple Martin populations.
Kara Whittaker
Kara has also been sea kayaking since 1999 and is the first to point
out any bird sightings on the water (she earned her PhD in urban bird
ecology)! She is the Staff Scientist and Policy Analyst at the Washington Forest Law Center
and volunteers to help monitor and promote the conservation of local
Purple Martin populations.Kara is also a part of the Alki Wildlife Habitat Project and has recently completed a native garden on the shores by the kayak shop. Check it out when you are visiting!
Fourth season as a kayak guide/naturalist in the Puget Sound area.
Graduated with BS from Penn State Uni in 1999. From there moved west
working as a naturalist for North Cascades Institute and then numerous
years lving and working in the North Cascades and San Juan islands.
Most recently working as a project manager on coastal and riverine
restoration projects in Puget Sound area and spending as much time on
the water as possible kayaking, surfing and/or sailing.
Freddy is a Seattle local who got into kayaking about seven years ago.
After exploring remote locations during three separate month long kayak
tours in Alaska and some paddling in the warm waters in the Sea of
Cortez, Freddy decided to focus on his own "backyard", Puget Sound.
This is Freddy's fifth year guiding with Alki Kayak Tours.
Spring feels more at home in a kayak than anywhere else. She has been a
guide and/or instructor for many programs, including snowboarding, dog
sledding, backpacking, canoeing, geology, human history and ropes
courses, but kayaking and natural history are her first loves. She
guided, taught, created and managed kayak classes, tours and kids kayak
camps for 7 summers at the Olympic Outdoor Center in Poulsbo. She has
her BA in Environmental Education and just received her certificate in
Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. She also
just quit her "real job" as the Director of Corporate Social
Responsibility at BabyLegs, LLC to get back on the water, write a book
and develop programs to support her friends in Uganda, Africa.
It was just a matter of time before I ended up here. Some of my first
aquatic memories are of my Father and I swimming in Echo Lake I would
ride on his back holding onto his shoulders and we would dive
underwater together. When I was running out of air I was instructed to
tap on his back and we would ascend. It was a lot of fun. That is where
I learned to swim. Since that time I have always lived on or near the
water. And I am constantly on it or in it. We moved to Lake Sammamish
when I was 8 and I soon learned how to water-ski and snorkel. Later in
life I moved to Kona Hawaii where I enjoyed body surfing and
snorkeling. I've had some interesting experiences night diving for
lobster on the Kona coast. When I returned to the mainland I moved to
Alki beach and enhanced my scuba diving certification to Rescue diver
then Dive master. I love it here in West Seattle. I am an avid diver,
snorkeler, windsurfer and Kayaker. Alki beach pretty much has it all.
This is my second year of kayaking with Kayak Alki tours. They are a
wonderful group of people who are very safety conscience and
professional. Don't miss the boat! Come out and join us for a tour
TODAY.
Adam "Sandy" Price
A transplant to the great Northwest, Adam hails from Pennsylvania. He graduated from Penn State University in 2005 with a BS in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management. He has spent time at Crystal Mountain as a snowshoe tour guide. He now spends his days selling at Mountain to Sound Outfitters, running the rental shack, giving demos of our newest kayaks, and paddling tours on the sound. When Adam isn't on the water or holding down the kayak shack, you can find him rehearsing/performing with his band, Bits of Knowledge.
Andrew Pavone
Fourth season as a kayak guide/naturalist in the Puget Sound area.
Graduated with BS from Penn State Uni in 1999. From there moved west
working as a naturalist for North Cascades Institute and then numerous
years lving and working in the North Cascades and San Juan islands.
Most recently working as a project manager on coastal and riverine
restoration projects in Puget Sound area and spending as much time on
the water as possible kayaking, surfing and/or sailing.
Freddy Carley
Freddy is a Seattle local who got into kayaking about seven years ago.
After exploring remote locations during three separate month long kayak
tours in Alaska and some paddling in the warm waters in the Sea of
Cortez, Freddy decided to focus on his own "backyard", Puget Sound.
This is Freddy's fifth year guiding with Alki Kayak Tours.
Ben Estibal
Occupation: Kayaker, NW Coastal Art Carver, Home Remodeler
Hobbies: Olympus Press Inc - Solution Provider(Pays the bills)
Kayaker since: 1980
Kayak: Current Designs - Gulfstream
Favorite place to kayak: San Juan Islands in February - Too cold for everyone else, so Seattle/South Sound any other time of the year. This area has a lot to offer without having to travel too far(Time better spent in a kayak than in a car).
Favorite time of day to kayak: Sunrise and Sunset - No one ever wants to get up early, so come out on a Sunset Tour with me.
Spring Courtright
Spring feels more at home in a kayak than anywhere else. She has been a
guide and/or instructor for many programs, including snowboarding, dog
sledding, backpacking, canoeing, geology, human history and ropes
courses, but kayaking and natural history are her first loves. She
guided, taught, created and managed kayak classes, tours and kids kayak
camps for 7 summers at the Olympic Outdoor Center in Poulsbo. She has
her BA in Environmental Education and just received her certificate in
Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. She also
just quit her "real job" as the Director of Corporate Social
Responsibility at BabyLegs, LLC to get back on the water, write a book
and develop programs to support her friends in Uganda, Africa.
Greg "Kona" Haapla
It was just a matter of time before I ended up here. Some of my first
aquatic memories are of my Father and I swimming in Echo Lake I would
ride on his back holding onto his shoulders and we would dive
underwater together. When I was running out of air I was instructed to
tap on his back and we would ascend. It was a lot of fun. That is where
I learned to swim. Since that time I have always lived on or near the
water. And I am constantly on it or in it. We moved to Lake Sammamish
when I was 8 and I soon learned how to water-ski and snorkel. Later in
life I moved to Kona Hawaii where I enjoyed body surfing and
snorkeling. I've had some interesting experiences night diving for
lobster on the Kona coast. When I returned to the mainland I moved to
Alki beach and enhanced my scuba diving certification to Rescue diver
then Dive master. I love it here in West Seattle. I am an avid diver,
snorkeler, windsurfer and Kayaker. Alki beach pretty much has it all.
This is my second year of kayaking with Kayak Alki tours. They are a
wonderful group of people who are very safety conscience and
professional. Don't miss the boat! Come out and join us for a tour
TODAY.
We offer kayak rentals in Seattle and help people learn to paddle a kayak through Puget Sound waters.