Neil McDermott

Captain Neil McDermott is based in Sitka, Alaska, where he leads small-group wildlife watching and photography expeditions throughout Southeast Alaska. Neil’s expeditions range far beyond traditional whale watching. Traveling through the Alexander Archipelago on the MV Catdaddy, his guests are able to watch and photograph humpback whales, orcas, coastal brown and black bears, sea otters, Steller sea lions, bald eagles, puffins and other wildlife against some of Alaska’s most dramatic landscapes. Neil has a particular passion for the cooperative bubble-net feeding behaviour of Southeast Alaska’s humpback whales. As a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed Master, he combines years on these waters with a continually expanding knowledge of marine wildlife and animal behaviour to help photographers anticipate rather than simply react to extraordinary encounters. Neil’s multi-day expeditions also connect communities such as Petersburg, Kake, Hoonah and Sitka, giving guests an opportunity to experience a side of Southeast Alaska that relatively few visitors ever see. For Neil, life has ultimately become the career he once imagined from afar, a life spent on the water, continually learning about whales and the wild places of Southeast Alaska, and having the privilege of sharing them with others.