Why choose us
The most important part of a trip with SEAK Expeditions is your guide. Veterans in the field, our guides are trained complete with the highest degree of wilderness and technical skills. Our rigorous in-house training program includes kayak safety and rescue, wilderness medicine, and in-depth training in weather, tides, wind, along with current and natural history. In addition, they are trained in the skills of Leave No Trace and many are certified Swiftwater Rescue technicians.
All our guides are:
WFR (Wilderness First Responder) certified
Our paddling guides are trained by ACA (American Canoe Association) instructors
Arriving from near and far, our guides are bound together by their passion for the Alaskan wild. From cooking meals, to helping with gear or sharing stories of their lives here in Southeast Alaska, we are here to make your trip safe, comfortable, and informative.
Meet the Owners
Joe Oesterling
Joe first traveled to Alaska in 1998 and finally stayed for good in 2010, when he moved to Haines, Alaska with his wife Tracy and their 4 dogs. He has been an avid mountaineer and paddler traveling throughout North and South America on both personal adventures and as a guide and instructor. Joe is a certified SAR dog handler and trainer with SEADOGS on call 24/7 for deployment throughout Alaska. He holds a Wilderness First Responder and has a 50 Ton Captain’s license with the US Coast Guard.
Tracy Mikowski
Tracy is not just our office manager, but also a children’s book author, the manager of our local animal shelter and to the people of Haines, in many ways, the closest thing we have to a veterinarian. If you don’t find Tracy working to keep things running smoothly in the office or caring for the local pets, then you will probably find her walking on the beach with her 5 dogs and band of ravens that follow her on her daily journeys.
Guides
Joe Oesterling
Joe first traveled to Alaska in 1998 and finally stayed for good in 2010, when he moved to Haines, Alaska with his wife Tracy and their 4 dogs. He has been an avid mountaineer and paddler traveling throughout North and South America on both personal adventures and as a guide and instructor. Joe is a certified SAR dog handler and trainer with SEADOGS on call 24/7 for deployment throughout Alaska. He holds a Wilderness First Responder and has a 50 Ton Captain’s license with the US Coast Guard.
Tracy Mikowski
Tracy is not just our office manager, but also a children’s book author, the manager of our local animal shelter and to the people of Haines, in many ways, the closest thing we have to a veterinarian. If you don’t find Tracy working to keep things running smoothly in the office or caring for the local pets, then you will probably find her walking on the beach with her 5 dogs and band of ravens that follow her on her daily journeys.
Guest Guides, Instructors & Volunteers
Jeff Allen
Jeff first started kayaking as a young lad in the Cub Scouts, then followed it on throughout his life, in the sea cadets, then the army, but it was seeing the graceful lines of a Valley Nordkap, laid out on the beach in Cyprus, whilst serving with the United Nations that inspired him to take up sea kayaking. Leaving the army in 1987, Jeff’s love of the outdoors took him in pursuit of the ocean, and he moved to Falmouth in Cornwall in 1987.
Since this date Jeff has worked on or near to the ocean. In the years to follow Jeff established his current business “Expedition Paddler, offering personal coaching, training courses and guiding across the globe. Jeff is a world renowned expedition Sea Kayaker, and has chalked up circumnavigations of Japan, South Georgia and Ireland as well as completing major expeditions in Scandinavia, he has guided and coached professionally for a career since 2001 and is well known for his presentations and talks which he has delivered at many different sea kayak symposia around the world. Jeff specializes in Incident management and rough water rescue clinics as well as running intensive guide training programs at various locations around the world.
Anna Partenheimer
Anna is a British Canoeing Advanced Sea Kayak Leader, an ISKGA Coastal Guide and a co-owner of Expedition Paddler Ltd. Her love for outdoor expeditions is rooted in their simplicity, and she loves engaging with adventures in the wild. An architect by profession, Anna has a deep interest in maritime architecture and lifestyle, blending her passions for coastal exploration and design.Her Sea Kayak Expeditions have taken her along the coastlines of Italy, Spain, Croatia, England, Ireland, and Norway. This year, she embarks on a new expedition, tracing an ancient Mediterranean trade route from Venice to Istanbul. Along the way, Anna will uncover stories of the sea that have shaped European history, seeking the traces of cultural exchanges across centuries and the vast expanse of the Mediterranean.
Dale Williams
Dale is an ACA L-5 Instructor Trainer Educator (ITE) and former British Canoe Union (BCU) Coach 5T Sea. He loves teaching and turning others on to open-water sea kayaking.
Dale makes his home on Tybee Island, Georgia (there was a woman involved) and as it turns out, Tybee has some of the best access to multi-level challenges in surf and river mouth tide races that one could hope for, anywhere.
Dale travels in support of new instructor development and organizes trips to some of the world’s most interesting paddling locations.
Debbie Kearney
Debbie began paddling sea kayaks on the Georgia coast, some decades ago, and loves it more with each passing year. But she’s paddled, taught and led in many other places as well, from Alaska and California, Maine, Florida, Virginia and the Carolinas, to Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Currently an ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayak instructor, she is a supportive coach and enjoys helping people up their paddling skills.
Amber Champion
Amber has been adventuring since the day she was born, but has been heavily involved with sea kayaking since 2015 and paddleboarding since 2016. She began her sea kayaking career working as a guide on the Great Barrier Reef in the Whitsundays, Australia. From there she decided that kayaking was a great way to access remote locations away from big vessels and find hidden gems that most people wouldn’t know existed.
In 2016 Amber started working as a sea kayak coach, this is where her life of instruction began. Amber was quickly drawn to the world of coaching when she saw what it did for her students, giving them the ability to explore and embrace the ocean without a guide. She loves facilitating learning environments that empowers and builds confidence in others.
Amber has taught at numerous national and international symposiums, gained her Paddle Canada L4 Instructors and L3 Instructor Trainers certification and became the youngest and the only female to hold that certification. She is driven to get to the top and offer more opportunities for learning for everyone.
Levi Hogan
Levi is the owner of Turnagain Kayak, an ACA Level 4 Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer and BCU 5 Star Sea Kayaker. Levi is also certified in Swift Water Rescue Instructor, Whitewater Kayaking, Stand Up Paddleboarding, and Canoeing. When Levi isn’t on the water he spends his time as a volunteer firefighter and medic in Hope, AK and chasing down his three year old Rylan and five year old Nigel.
Dick Rice
If you have been in the outdoor industry in Alaska or participated in any rescue training you probably know this guy. Dick Rice has been guiding, and teaching in Alaska for over 40 years and is a bit of a legend. We are proud to have him at this years SE Alaska Sea Kayak Symposium and our Sea Kayak Guide Course as an instructor and speaker.
TESTIMONIALS
Find us in paradise
The base camp for our business and starting point for your adventure is Haines, Alaska. Arrive here by boat on the Alaska Marine Ferry or Alaska Fjordlines or fly in with Alaska Seaplanes. You can also reach us by road on the Haines Highway via Yukon, Canada.
A lively town surrounded by temperate rainforest, deserted beaches and an abundance of waterways, Haines is nicknamed the Adventure Capital of Alaska and with good reason. It really is an outdoor paradise. Ask us about accommodation options in town before or after your tour. We’d be happy to advise!
