Here is my interview with Jan Kretz of Adventuress, an eco-kayaking tour company based in Nanoose Bay:
Jan Kretz has been operating Adventuress Kayak Tours for 7 years, offering kayaking adventures for anyone who wants to see the beautiful areas around Vancouver Island.
Jan Kretz: I first got inspired by a conference I attended in Banff on eco-tourism. At the time, in 1994 eco-tourism wasn’t a common idea and it wasn’t until some years later when I was living in Victoria that I heard about the tourism program being offered at what was then Malaspina College. So I moved up from Victora and earned my diploma and afterward, returned to complete my degree at Vancouver Island University in recreation and tourism. In 2003, I went about getting my truck and kayaks and off I started. Now I’m based in Nanoose and the word is getting out about my tours.
Mid Island News: One of your trips included outdoor therapy, could you expand on that?
Jan Kretz: These particular kayaking tours are like transformative journeys. I have a really great therapist who comes with us and we do things like medicine walks, where each person goes on a short walk, looks at nature around them and then we come back and share our interpretations and observations. Being close to nature has a calming, de-stressing affect on people.
Mid Island News: what is the biggest challenge for a novice kayaker?
Jan Kretz: Probably the biggest challenge for a novice is facing one’s fear of the open water. I teach everyone about safety techniques and I keep up to date with Coast Guard training so I make sure that everyone knows exactly what to do and how to do it. Once you’re facing the wind and waves and you overcome these obstacles, it is the most exhilarating feeling in the world.
Mid Island News: Have you had any encounters with wildlife?
Jan Kretz: We’ve seen sea lions, eagles, turkey vultures and just the other day we came across a newborn seal pup. There is just so much to see, some of the visitors don’t want to go home!
Mid Island News: What about food?
Jan Kretz: I prepare all the food in advance. I go over any special requirements with every client so everyone is accommodated and I pack an abundance of fresh fruit and a few chocolatey surprises!
Mid Island News: Your website, www.adventuress.ca, highlights trips for women – do you offer trips for men as well?
Jan Kretz: Yes, I do. I offer trips for men, couples and families. I enjoy helping to build comraderie and in the end we’re all sorry to see the trip come to a close.