Born and raised in Malone, NY which is located in the Adirondacks on the northern tip of the state. I had worked in restaurants since I was old enough to get a job. I attended Plattsburgh state university and after choosing a path in food and nutrition Chemistry quickly taught me that field was not going to work for me. I approached my advisor to contemplate what major I should focus on next and asked her specifically “I am a people person, what should I do?” she quickly responded hotel restaurant and tourism management which was an obvious answer for the line of work I had been in for many years already but for some reason never came to that conclusion myself. After receiving my bachelor’s degree I had a good college friend who had been living in Myrtle Beach, SC and decided to pack up and start broadening my horizons. I spent 5 years working for a few different places starting out at restaurants waiting tables and hotels as a banquet houseman supervisor. Eventually ended up working for the homegrown hospitality corporation which oversaw various restaurants around Myrtle Beach with different menus and styles. Going from a waiter to an eventual assistant GM I knew it was time to look elsewhere to experience different styles still. My next stop was Cincinnati, OH where I worked for a fine dining casual restaurant and became a bar manager there, which helped me gain valuable experience as a bartender, that I felt I was lacking before. During my time in OH I had a coworker at a deli I was also working for who happened to have just been accepted to UnCruise. Cruising was always a career goal for me and once my opportunities opened up to start applying for that goal I was lucky enough to have the knowledge of UnCruise and applied right away. Next thing I know I am in Alaska seeing sights I never dreamed of and have since gathered some amazing memories in Baja, and Costa Rica/Panama plus the PNW’s. I spent a lot of my covid year outside, camping, hiking, rock climbing, and even a beautiful raft trip in canyonlands national park. I hope to get back to traveling more internationally and experiencing different cultures and cuisines as much as possible.

The Crew on SAFARI EXPLORER are Rotational Throughout the Season.

Lead Captain Sean Manske - Born and raised in Oregon home to Sean. So it’s an understatement to say he “knows” the Pacific Northwest—he’s a natural explorer with a fondness for boats and being on the water.

Sean graduated from Portland Community College with a degree in fire science. He furthered his education with certifications for marine firefighting; STCW-95 Basic Safety (Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping); CPR and first aid; and by acquiring a 100 Ton Inland/Near Coastal License. Since, Sean has worked for several small ship operators offering wilderness expeditions for both overnight and day trips in Alaska, Baja Mexico, and the US Pacific Northwest. Your safety is always top-of-mind with Sean and he’ll share experiences you will never forget.

Speaking of sharing… Sean has a twin brother, enjoys biking, camping, and windsurfing. With Sean, you can count on an unbelievable adventure.

Expedition Leaders (Rotational) Jessika Picinich - Originally from Kona, Hawaii. before joining the Expedition team Jessika was a rescue diver, ski patroller, biologist, systems engineer, and wilderness guide. Jessika describes her role as the bridge between ordinary existence and the secrets of the Magical Wild.

Jessika specializes in geology, geophysics, and geochemistry and has a degree in marine geology and geophysics from the University of Miami. She is a certified AAUS Rescue Diver with Florida International University, certified in Search and Rescue in Miami Dade County, Florida and in Summit County, Colorado, a Wilderness First Responder, and a Wilderness First Responder Instructor. Jessica is even certified to shoot explosives out of a cannon for avalanche control in mountains.

When not on an journey of discovery with her guests, Jessika lives in Olympia, Washington, where she writes science fiction in her free time.

Expedition Leaders (Rotational) Megan Moran - Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Megan has lived in some special places far from her hometown, including Egypt and South Africa. Having seen incredible changes within herself in many ways over the years, Megan is to help people transform and connect them to new experiences.

It all started for Megan one fateful summer when she began guiding. That summer, the outdoor and adventure bug bit her hard. Fast-forward to current times and Megan is now a well-seasoned guide, adventure seeker, and creator of happiness. Not long ago, she worked with Operation Smile Egypt, an NGO that provides free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to children in over 50 countries. She also led over 30 trips for 13-year-old kids (talk about patience!) throughout the Americas and Australia. And don't forget the art degree from University of Wisconsin, a masters in Education from Sierra Nevada College, and her Wilderness First Responder certification.

When not focused on helping other people experience new, happy adventures, Megan can be found hiking, biking, snowboarding, reading, or seeking the next adventure!

Born and raised in Charleston South Carolina I was luckily enough to get into culinary arts in my high school and then decided to attend the culinary institute of Charleston after graduation. While still in school I received the opportunity of a lifetime to help open up a small contemporary American tasting menu style restaurant called Zero George. There I acted as sous chef under my mentor Vinson Petrillo, known for his multiple appearances on chopped, beat Bobby flay and winner of San Pelligrino best chef. After learning as much as possible under him for 5 years I opted to get out of Charleston and go explore the world. My first stop took me to an Asian fusion restaurant in the beautiful island of St. John USVI. Unfortunately 6 months later the island was devastated by hurricane Irma and Maria. This unexpected turn of events took me back to Charleston where I was asked to be apart of the opening of a new French fine dining restaurant called Purlieu. There I worked all stations and loved our open kitchen dynamic which gave me the opportunity to interact with guests. After my time there the itch to travel more came back and I decided to take the opportunity to work with Uncruise. With them I’ve traveled to Alaska, San Juan islands, Hawaii and Baja. In my free time I still travel back and forth to the Caribbean to “live” but enjoy my nomad lifestyle of bouncing around!