Our Owners

Batstar Adventure Tours is owned & operated by the husband and wife team of Blake and Rhonda Johnson.

Blake has his Bachelors of Science from the University of Alberta and his Sea Kayakers Educators Certificate from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). He has spent most of his life bicycling & hiking and in the early 90's discovered the joys of sea kayak touring. He has kayaked many beautiful locations on the coast of British Columbia and has logged hundreds of kayaking days as a guide.

Rhonda grew up in a family that spent most of their spare time out discovering the joys of nature. Both of her parents are nationally renowned naturalists and outdoor educators and she inherited their passion for the outdoors. She has her BA, MBA and a law degree, all from the University of Alberta. Rhonda practiced law in Edmonton for 11 years and was also a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law before joining Batstar full time. Rhonda currently is a sessional instructor of economics at North Island College, Port Alberni Campus.

Rhonda and Blake have 2 energetic young kids. The gang is often spotted at the swimming pool, dance class or the Log Train Trail walking their dog.

Our motto is simple: Five Star Service. Billion Star View!

Our Guides

Batstar guides are chosen for their experience, skill, sound judgment and love of the outdoors. The ocean environment demands that Batstar guides be highly skilled and trained. Our guides are absolutely critical to our success. As such, our professional guides are among the best, anywhere. All have one common goal: to make our guest's wilderness experience an exceptional one.

Not only do our guides have tremendous technical skills honed by years of experience, they also possess fantastic interpersonal skills. They are adept at being the central figure of each trip but focusing the attention on the needs of the guests, not themselves.

Employees, not independent contractors. We employ our guides rather than hire independent contractors (many adventure tour companies illegally hire contractors). By treating our guides as employees, not only are we compliant with federal and provincial law, we have greater control over their training and development. It also makes us accountable to our guides who have the protection of BC Labour and the federal government. With few exceptions, our guides are the highest paid in the industry. We know that they are the hardest working guides and that they deserve compensation that matches their skill level and experience. In return, our guides are professional, loyal and dedicated to Batstar and Batstar guests.

Training, Skills and Certification
All of our guides have current advanced wilderness first aid training and are either certified head or assistant guides. They are licensed to operate VHF restricted marine radios. Those who drive our company vehicles have their Class 4 or Chauffeur's licence. Our seasoned guides are multi-disciplinary and are certified to lead other outdoor activities. Batstar begins each season with great guide training sessions. We hire specailty training companies to make it stimulating and professional. We practise rescue scenarios in various sea states. We interact with the various governmental agencies that are responsible for search and rescue such as the Canadian Coast Guard during our training. We are always looking to better tune our guide training.

As wilderness professionals, we are always looking to improve our risk management skills. We've participated in the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Wilderness Risk Management Conferences.

At all times, both in the field and out, respect for and harmony with nature are utmost in our minds.

Batstar Guides

Laurel Archer, - prefers coffee
James McKerricher - prefers herb tea A graduate of Capilano College Outdoor Program and Ottawa Food College, James is both a professional guide and chef. With his high proficiency in so many disciplines, James brings an ease in the outdoors which is infectious to our guests and the other guides.
Trevor Cootes - assistant guide - prefers coffee Trevor .
Blake Johnson, - prefers coffee As an owner, Blake has gone from leading all the trips to getting out for just a handful of trips a year. Blake graduated with a science degree and enjoys the sharing his interest in the natural world. He works at Batstar year round and plays shinny hockey in the off-season. Often found at Batstar Cafe & Picnic.
Rhonda Johnson, - prefers coffee When not being a busy mother of 2 active kids, Rhonda is the primary contact source with our guests. A former lawyer, she reads the fine print on all of our licenses, permits, governmental and insurance forms. In the off-season she leads a sea kayak and bicycle programs offered through the Port Alberni Parks & Recreation department. (Used to be fluent in French; said she would like to travel to Quebec or France to practice.)