The Crew
Each cruise benefits from experienced well trained and friendly personnel with Marine Emergency Duty and First Aid Certificates. The cruises are piloted by professional, licensed captains, including Harold Graham who has over 60 years experience navigating the Bay of Fundy and 40 years experience working with the whales. Professional guides and researchers make each cruise informative and educational.
The
cruises are fully narrated by experienced naturalists including Shelley Lonergan who has over 30 years experience researching whales. Also employed are a marine biologist, marine biology students and local naturalist. We also welcome volunteers from around the globe.
Scroll down to meet the crew members. Click their name bars to read about them.
Captain Harold Graham
Harold, founder and president of Brier Island Whale and Seabird Cruises, was born and raised on Brier Island. Having lived by the Bay of Fundy he pursued a career in the fishing industry and has over 60 years experience navigating the Bay of Fundy. He also has over 40 years experience working with the whales. He and other researchers from the Eastern seaboard of the USA realized the importance of the Bay of Fundy to the Gulf of Maine cetaceans and began to monitor their presence here in 1984. Because of public interest in the work that they were doing, Harold decided to start the first whale watch company in southwest Nova Scotia. Brier Island Whale and Seabird Cruises was formed in 1986 and commenced providing a means to see the whales. The whale watch also provides the funding needed to continue with the ongoing research which is such an important part of Brier Island Cruises.
In 1987, Harold was awarded a Certificate of Merit at the Nova Scotia Environment awards in appreciation of outstanding service in the protection of the environment.
Harold is well qualified and holds all necessary certificates through Transport Canada to ensure your safety on the Bay of Fundy. He is also very knowledgeable of the marine life. When not whale watching, he is still on board the boat, the Mega Nova, as Captain while lobster fishing during the winter months.
Captain Trevor Moore
Bio Coming Soon
Captain Roy Small
Shelley Lonergan - Head Naturalist
Head Naturalist and Research director, with over 30 years experience, Shelley Lonergan is originally from the small community of West LaHave on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. Having grown up near the water, whales and other marine life became Shelley’s obsession from a young age. It was this passion that led her to her first whale watching adventure in 1989 where she encountered her first whale and was “hooked” into a lifetime of research and education. Her photography background and data recording skills led her to a volunteer position which further led her to the full time position she holds today.
Data collected has been used in various cetacean research papers, two of which she was co –author. Shelley’s ability to immediately recognize individual humpback whales makes her a well sought-after naturalist on every whale watch cruise. This ability is essential in the study of humpback whales which she has participated and led for over 30 years.
This passion also led her to establish Fundy East Whale Rescue, a group of volunteers dedicated to the rescue of marine mammals. Shelley is on the steering committee of the North Atlantic Whale Watch Naturalist Association and is involved in the community and is a volunteer Medical First Responder with the Westport Volunteer Fire Department.
Captain Sean McDormand
Fishing the seas around Brier Island for most of his life, Sean and his father fished lobster from 1989-2020. Since 2020, Sean has been sole captain of his lobster vessel and over the last 15 years, he occasionally worked as crew on various whale watch tour boats. He is trained and certified in all required marine courses. In 2022 he joined Brier Island Whale and Seabird Cruises and looks forward to his days seeing whales and bird and interacting with passengers on board the zodiac.
Captain Eddie Graham
Bio coming soon
Tania Campbell- Naturalist
Katie Moore
Bio coming soon
April Wilder - Naturalist / Research Assistant
April, originally from Toronto, was drawn to the east coast by her passion for the ocean and its diverse ecosystems. She relocated to experience the natural beauty of the region and pursue her studies, earning a degree in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University. She began her journey with BIWSC through a co-op program and quickly fell in love with the whale population that frequents the Bay of Fundy.
Her fascination with marine life has been a lifelong passion and it continues to drive her work at Brier Island. Along with her love for whale biology, Her also has a background in salmon genetics and coral conservation, which has only deepened her love of marine ecosystems.
When she’s not on the boat, you’ll likely find her underwater, diving with the species she’s long admired. She’s always eager to share her knowledge and discuss the rich marine life found in the Bay of Fundy, so don’t hesitate to ask her about the wonders of the ocean.”
Cindy Garron - Naturalist
Pascal Trudel - Naturalist/Research Assistant
Bio to come.
Molly Crocker - Oceanography student
Molly spent her early years across the passage in Freeport, before moving to another small fishing community in Cape Breton. Her passion for the ocean brought her to the West Coast where she is studying Oceanography and Biology at the University of British Columbia. Despite all the wonder that the Pacific has to offer, her heart draws her home to the East Coast where her family has spent generations on the water. If you can’t find her on the water, she is most likely spending her time playing music, scuba diving, or chasing her next outdoor adventure. Molly is always happy to share her knowledge and swap stories about all things marine!
Kate Andrew - Marine Biology Student
Growing up on the west coast of British Columbia, Kate has been learning about the ocean and poking around in tidepools since she could crawl. Her passion for marine life developed further as she explored diverse marine ecosystems in Canada and around the world by kayak, snorkel, and SCUBA. Kate’s eagerness for adventure led her to move across the country to Halifax, where she is studying Marine Biology at Dalhousie University. Kate is passionate about science communication and education and is thrilled to share her knowledge of the wild and wonderful creatures that live in and around our ocean.