The Owners
Our esteemed leaders are the husband and wife team, Jim and Mary Borrowman. Their vision has enabled Stubbs Island Whale Watching to become a company with a world-wide reputation for responsible wildlife viewing that has true educational merit.
Jim has many titles within the company including “all-around handyman” and “the collector of bones”. He is truly in his element when on the water as the amazing “Captain Jim”. His knowledge, understanding and respect for the Orca reflect his long history and love for the marine environment. There are those of us who believe that he even thinks like a whale!. Jim’s ability as a nature photographer, including underwater photography, is envied by many of his own staff. He readily contributes these skills and his resources to the research community.
Jim has worked for 30 years to protect the whales, educate the public and aid research. “Whale-watching” goes far beyond being a livelihood to him; it is his life. Jim’s history and reputation have led to Stubbs Island Whale Watching being comprised of a team that share his dedication, ethics and passion for the marine environment.
Jim and Mary Borrowman
Mary’s many skills are a perfect compliment to Jim’s. From accounting to PR and graphic design, Mary’s great energy and insights provide the Company with direction. Her strong retail background and vision have moved us into an exciting new realm. Our gift store, The Whale Company, has expanded to include an excellent selection of marine resource materials, our own line of clothing and what is quite possibly the greatest selection of whale paraphernalia on the planet! Her photographs rival those of Jim, although we try not to confront him with this.
Together Jim and Mary provide leadership and guidance to the team, ensuring that the Company maintains its high standards in responsible wildlife viewing with great attention to the needs of our guests.
Captain Wayne
Captain Wayne is probably Stubbs Island Whale Watching’s most colourful character. He possesses the experience and competence of over 30 years as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer patrolling the coastal waters of British Columbia. Yes – he’s a real Canadian Mountie! He has been with the company since 1996 and has been captain on over 2000 trips with never waning enthusiasm. He too has become an avid nature photographer.
His ever-present sense of humour and in-depth knowledge of the area and its life, make trips great fun. There’s never a dull moment with Captain Wayne around and one of the added features of a tour with Wayne at the helm is his “quote of the day”. His optimistic and enthusiastic approach to life is best illustrated by his slogan “Any day above ground is a good day!”
Head Naturalist
Christie was introduced to northern Vancouver Island’s incredible diversity of marine life when she worked as a Naturalist for us in 2005 and 2006, having just graduated with a degree in Marine Biology from the University of British Columbia. Working for Stubbs Island Whale Watching gave her the passion and experience to continue on in marine mammal research, and she has been involved in the study and conservation of whales since then, both here in BC and in the eastern United States. Most recently, she spent two years working for the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in Cape Cod, where she studied humpback whales and worked as a member of the Large Whale Disentanglement Team, rescuing whales that were caught in fishing gear.
But she just couldn’t stay away from the west coast for long, and she is thrilled to be back on-board with us, and to have the opportunity to share her experience, energy, and conservation ethic with our guests. Her love and enthusiasm for all wildlife above, on, and below the water’s surface is contagious, and her strong background in research makes her a knowledgeable and effective educator.
Naturalists/Deckhands
With Stubbs Island Whale Watching’s strong dedication to research and education, it is the company’s ideal to hire Naturalists with a background in biology. This is motivated by the desire to be able to provide our guests with so much more than “a look at the whales”. It is our belief that wildlife viewing can have great educational merit and that education (at the desired level) greatly enhances the value of the experience. By hiring biologists, it is also hoped that the experience gained from being a Naturalist will contribute to further marine research and education.
Office staff
Our friendly and knowledgeable staff in the office are eager to greet you and help make your trip unforgettable. They’ll not only book your whale watching cruise, but will answer your questions about the tours and give suggestions about other activities in the area. Since they spend so much time “on-shore”, they’d love to hear all about your cruise when you return from your cruise. Go ahead – make them jealous!