Staff
Mark Dombowsky - Executive Director
Mark Dombowsky has spent more than two decades working in the non-profit world. For over fifteen years, Mark worked with Greenpeace in Canada and internationally (in London, Washington DC, and Hong Kong) as a logistics coordinator and resource manager. He has led large teams of staff and volunteers on campaign projects, frequently in challenging conditions and wilderness environments. He has managed departments, budgets, and marine and technical resources both in London and Washington and established a logistics unit for Greenpeace China. During his years at Greenpeace, Mark spent much time managing marine operations from land and on the water. He's coordinated logistics for, as well as worked from, large vessels as well as participated in countless marine trainings in Scotland, England, the US, and BC. In addition, Mark has worked as a logistics consultant for solar start-ups and as a technical director for a community-based arts & nature non-profit. Mark has years of maritime training and knowledge as well as administrative and management expertise that he brings to Cetus. In addition, he has direct experience of Cetus's on-the-ground operations, having been involved with the organization since 2012, as a Warden, Board Director, Board Chair, and now as Executive Director. He currently lives on the Sunshine Coast of BC.
Jacqui Martindale - Marine Training and Safety Coordinator
Jacqui worked as a Straitwatch captain in 2018 after graduating from the University of Victoria with her BSc. in Geography. She has grown up driving and working on vessels around BC and the gulf islands and loves exploring and sharing her knowledge about the area. Jacqui is now the Marine Safety and Training Coordinator and works on training both internally and externally and supporting the teams throughout the field season.
Straitwatch South
Lindsay Kolb - Straitwatch South Coordinator
Lindsay started working with Cetus in 2021 doing data work, then as a crew member for Straitwatch South. Originally from Richmond BC, she moved to Vancouver Island in 2016; having always lived on the coast of the Salish Sea, Lindsay has been passionate about marine biology and conservation for as long as she can remember.
Lindsay holds a B.Sc. in Biology and Biological Anthropology from the University of Victoria, focusing primarily on Marine Biology. She is grateful to be able to spend her time working to protect local cetacean species from human impacts.
Neil Saxvik - Vessel Operator
Neil joined the Straitwatch team in 2021 as a vessel operator for Straitwatch South. Neil grew up sailing and boating through the coastal waters of BC, learning the ins and outs of the local seas. Through his explorations and post finishing his degree in biology, he has gained a huge appreciation and gratefulness to the sheer mass of diversity of life that the Salish Sea supports and the importance and power it holds in our everyday life. In contributing to Straitwatch’s work, Neil hopes to reduce the threats that our cetacean populations are facing and ensure that our local ocean ecosystem continues to thrive.
Natalie Rae - Data Crew
This is Natalie’s first year with Cetus as a crew member with the Straitwatch South team. She moved to Vancouver Island four years ago to study marine ecosystems firsthand and is currently completing her B.Sc. in Marine Biology. Natalie has a strong interest in all marine life, from invertebrates to marine mammals, and is dedicated to fostering public awareness about the importance of ocean conservation. She previously worked as a marine educator at the Whale Interpretive Centre, where she informed visitors on marine wildlife, conservation, and the North Pacific ecosystem. This role enhanced her science communication skills and sparked her passion for marine conservation work. She is excited to spend the season on the water with Cetus, working to protect local cetaceans from vessel impacts while contributing to the collection of valuable data to support conservation efforts across the Salish Sea. Natalie looks forward to supporting Cetus’s mission while gaining further experience in marine conservation work.
Carmen Murphy - Data Crew
Carmen has spent the last four field seasons working on marine vessels and has a great passion for whale conservation. Having recently acquired her undergraduate degree from the University of Victoria in Marine Biology, she is excited to be a part of the Cetus team. Having grown up on the island, Carmen is really looking forward to contributing to meaningful data supporting whales in the Salish Sea.
Straitwatch Quadra
Emma Shuparski - Straitwatch Quadra Coordinator
Emma, a resident of Quadra Island, has been dedicated to Straitwatch for five years, serving as a coordinator and vessel operator. She holds a B.Sc. in Geography with Honours from the University of Victoria, where she specialized in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enhance the understanding of cetacean habitat use. Inspired by her upbringing along the shores of the Salish Sea, Emma pursued a degree aimed at protecting British Columbia's unique ecosystems. Her academic and professional aspirations are rooted in environmental justice and marine conservation, reflecting her commitment to safeguarding the natural world.
Megan Hockin-Bennett - Vessel Operator
Megan is an award winning filmmaker, podcast producer and conservationist. This is her first summer working for strait watch. She grew up near London, England and currently lives on Vancouver Island. After finishing her degree in film she traveled to Canada in search of a life lived amongst wildlife and to make films about the natural world. She has spent the last 13 years making short films and working with OrcaLab. These last 13 years have instilled an inherent passion for maintaining a respectful relationship with whales. Megan is dedicated to the belief that through education, creativity, positive energy and conversation we can inspire people to create long lasting change to help sustain a healthier planet.
Sophie Early - Data Crew
Sophie was raised around the coastal waters of Banks Peninsula, on the East Coast of New Zealand. This upbringing fostered a love for the unrestrained, natural beauty of the ocean, and the array of marine life it contains. Banks Peninsula is home to the endangered Hector’s Dolphin, a species by which through policy change and implementation of marine protected areas, has bolstered its numbers in recent years. It has shown Sophie that the change of human behaviour can impact the welfare of decimated wildlife for the better. After a few years of working as a medic, it is this drive that led her to change vocations and study a BSci in Conservation and Ecology at Lincoln University. Working for Cetus, an organization led by those same values, is a privilege that Sophie intends to use as an opportunity to learn, help, and lead by example.
Juliette Champsaur - Data Crew
Juliette joined Cetus in 2025 to support field operations in the Straitwatch Quadra team. Originally from France, she holds a Master’s degree in Ecology and Biostatistics from the University of Burgundy and has worked on several international projects focused on reducing bycatch of marine megafauna. Passionate about marine mammals and dedicated to protecting ocean ecosystems, Juliette is excited to be part of a team that works directly to safeguard marine mammals from human threats.
North Island Operations:
Straitwatch North & Robson Bight Warden Program
Astrid Waite - Straitwatch North Coordinator
Astrid started with the Cetus Warden Program in 2022, falling in love with the North Island and the efforts of the organization. She combines her background in science and data collection with positivity and compassion for the natural world. She is a dedicated environmental steward with various field work experiences and a BSc in Environmental Science. Astrid is looking forward to another season in the Johnstone Strait, learning from the thriving ecosystem and its community members. She believes that by promoting education, sharing knowledge, and fostering positivity, we can improve the environment for all creatures, ultimately working towards a better world for all.
Stefani Cruickshank - Warden
Stefani began her time at Cetus in 2022 and is returning for her fourth field season this year as a Warden. She has a very strong connection to the oceans, forests, and biota of the Pacific Northwest and hails from the unceded, traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. She feels very privileged to be working on and learning from the ancestral lands of the Kwakwaka’wakw nations again this summer. She holds a BSc in Applied Animal Biology with Honours having focussed primarily on animal welfare and conservation. Stefani has worked with and advocated for the rights of a wide array of animals ranging from harbour seals and amphibians to research rodents and is enamoured by most everything in the marine world. Her strongest traits lie in her passions for environmental advocacy, and decreasing anthropogenic impacts on wildlife throughout BC.
Megan Kollman - Warden Vessel Operator
Megan is passionate about wildlife conservation and environmental laws and compliance. She completed her Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection at Vancouver Island University in 2023. This summer 2025 is her first time working with Cetus as a Robson Bight Marine Warden. She has dedicated much of her professional career towards freshwater fisheries management and terrestrial ecological restoration work. Over the field season she is excited to educate people about the importance of the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve and the positive things people can do to help the iconic marine mammals that call the Johnstone Strait home.
Callum Tait - Warden Vessel Operator
Callum has always held a deep love and respect for the ocean, coming from remote Shetland and spending many days on the water crewing for historic and expedition sailing ships. He holds a Masters in Earth Science and has worked four years in a physical oceanography role in Scotland. Since moving to BC he has enjoyed becoming acquainted with the local marine ecology and coastal dynamics, as well as learning about the traditions of the first nation communities and their relationships with the sea. He feels greatly lucky and privileged to stay and work at the Robson Bight ecological reserve on the Kwakwaka’wakw nations ancestral land, and is looking forward to becoming familiar with the North Resident Killer Whales and other marine life in the area and contributing to their conservation.
Sofia Scuotto - Volunteer
Sofia was born in Lugano, a lovely town tucked away in the southern part of Switzerland. She’s always been drawn to nature and its many wonders, which led her to study Biology at a Swiss university. During her third year, she packed her bags and headed off to the University of Montréal in Canada for a new academic adventure. She is really passionate about the ocean and its incredible creatures, especially marine mammals. Before diving into further studies, she wanted to enrich her knowledge by gaining real-world experience in the marine field, both theoretical and practical. Over the years, she’s volunteered with several organizations in South Africa and around the Mediterranean, working on projects related to plastic pollution, sea turtle conservation, and the monitoring of marine mammals, especially sperm whales. Now, joining the Robson Bight Warden Program is an exciting next step. It’s a perfect opportunity for Sofia to put everything she’s learned into action, build new skills, and witness firsthand just how important it is to protect marine ecosystems and the species that call them home. Sofia is super excited about spending the entire summer camping at Boat Bay, discovering the rich ecosystems along the coast of Vancouver Island, and participating in the monitoring of boat traffic and its impact on cetaceans, especially orcas, which she can’t wait to observe in their natural habitat.
Ruth Earl - Volunteer
Ruth grew up in the countryside of the UK, becoming passionate about nature, and especially marine life, in her childhood when observing marine mammals in the wild. This passion lead to her ongoing BSc in marine biology at Plymouth University, the UK's 'Ocean City'. Having visited North Vancouver Island and the Johnstone Strait before, Ruth is excited to start as a volunteer warden for the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve, helping to collect data on local cetacean and vessel activity and to build on her previous warden experience, with pinnipeds in the UK. In her spare time she enjoys creating art, which often takes inspiration from her love of the natural world and the Ocean. She hopes to bring her motivation and enthusiasm to the warden program this season.
Ada Shackleton- Volunteer
Ada is a wildlife biologist from Whadjuk Noongar country in Western Australia joining the Robson Bight program for the first time this season. She has a diverse background in field research and marine education ranging from flatback turtle nesting studies and land-based fauna trapping in remote north-western Australia to designing a boat-based highschool work experience program on the Ningaloo Reef and guiding bottlenose dolphin tours. Whilst in Canada she is eager to explore Canada's wild places and contribute to local conservation. She holds a BSc in Veterinary Biology with a minor in Marine Biology.
Mitch Fosdick - Volunteer
Mitch comes from a cattle farm in rural Australia. He has a background in land and wildlife management and is a big fan of all things ecology. This is his final summer in Canada and he’s stoked to be spending it immersed in such a beautiful place surrounded by good people and stunning wildlife.