The transformative power of nature: A new business member profile
Research has long shown that time spent in nature is good for us, body and soul. The American Heart Association, among...
Captain Shelly Holland remembers the moment: “I’ll never forget that beautiful day when I first explored the Apostle Islands. The water was smooth as glass. I navigated by keeping close to the shoreline, making sure I wouldn’t get lost in the sprawling, magical waters. Towering sandstone cliffs rose majestically above vibrant emerald green waters, revealing caves of every shape and size. It was as if I had finally found the thrilling adventure I had been searching for my entire life!”
In the 15 years since that moment, Captain Holland has lived her passion to share the thrill of discovering these islands with hundreds of others through her water taxi business Escape Excursions and lately Wave Watch has become an important safety component of her success.
“My customers are from around the world, around the United States,” Shelly says, “and even many locals who have never seen the islands. Whether they are from 10 minutes away or from far away, they all want to see this magical place. Every one of them comes away in awe of it. The islands do all the work.”
From fishing trips aboard the Finnscout to the all-women’s trips aboard the aptly named Funnscout, Holland and her crew work to be sure their clients have enjoyable and memorable trips among the islands. And they work to keep them safe. That is where Wave Watch comes in.
“Weather is everything. The most important thing to me when I am out there is knowing the conditions – what direction the wind is blowing, what the waves are doing. Wave Watch has been wonderful. I keep it on my home screen and check it sometimes four or five times a day to see if things are changing,” she says. “It gives me more confidence. Without Wave Watch, sometimes I’ve headed out but had to come back when I saw how rough it was. With Wave Watch, I know exactly what I am going to get before I go and that knowledge helps me to make the kind of good decisions my clients count on me for.”
With the added confidence that Wave Watch gives her, Holland is free to focus on other things that make a trip with Escape Excursions special – good food, finding just the right caves, landing a big fish, and sharing the stories of these islands. “That is my goal this season,” Shelly says, “to work hard to polish my storytelling. There are so many great stories in these islands. I want to be better at sharing them. I’m sure I will still wing it at times, but I am trying.”
With Wave Watch, the one thing Captain Holland won’t have to “wing” is knowing the conditions for where she is taking her guests. “If I look at Wave Watch and it is showing a west wind in a certain location, I know that we will be able to get into the caves on the east side of the islands or find the perfect beach for lunch. It has been a big success for my business.”
And that helps Captain Shelly Holland and her crew at Escape Excursions share the beauty, adventure, and stories of these islands with their clients, and do it all safely. “I think everyone going out among the islands,” says Captain Holland, “should have Wave Watch on their boat.” Good advice from a captain who knows that when it comes to safety, boaters should never have to wing it.
Wave Watch, a partnership between Friends of the Apostle Islands, the University of Wisconsin, and the National Park Service, is a series of five weather data buoys strategically placed in important boating areas throughout the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Each buoy returns data on wave heights, direction, period, even water temperature refreshed every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day giving boaters vital information simply by scanning a QR code. For more information on how you can get your QR code sticker and support Wave Watch, click below.
To book an adventure with Escape Excursions, check out their website or call/text 612-805-7454.
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