John Macphie

John hails from the frigid tundra of Central Florida. His passion for the outdoors began at a very young age when his parents realized that the only thing that would get him to stay in one place for any amount of time were books about the adventures of bold explorers, and the sultry narrations of David Attenborough. Family camping trips to National Parks all over the country bolstered his infatuation for the wonders the world holds.

He began his career in the guiding industry in 2015 and began polar guiding in 2022. Trading warm water and sandy beaches for ice-choked fjords required him to quickly adapt (there is no bad weather, just poor clothing choices). His favorite aspect of guiding is the never-ending quest for knowledge, the ability to express his love of nature to others, and the enjoyment of seeing guests experiencing the same sense of awe and wonder. When an opportunity to work on the water arose, it kick-started a newly found love of all things maritime. His penchant for learning new skillsets lead to him earning a USCG Masters license and opened a whole new frontier to explore and share.

When John isn’t guiding, he can be found backpacking through new countries, chasing untouched powder snow, exploring colorful coral reefs, stalking exotic animals to photograph, and hunting down the tastiest street food to try to emulate when he is at home!