Our Crew

Travis Davis - Owner / Captain
Captain Travis grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York but had saltwater in his blood.  He studied Marine Biology at Boston University then went on to work with organizations such as the New England Aquarium, Mote Marine Lab/Dolphin Biology Research Institute, LA County Office of Marine Science Education, Roundhouse Aquarium, LA Dolphin Project, Carolina Ocean Studies, Aquatic Discoveries, and The Wetlands Institute.  He has recently transitioned to more formal education and is now a high school Biology and BioMedical Science teacher where his passion for science, (and bad jokes) have a more captive audience.  Travis is a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Master Captain with over 26 years of running boat based educational programs.  He and his wife, Kate, along with their children Kaidson and Molly, have been owner/operators of The Skimmer - Salt Marsh Safari Tours since 2014 and look forward to many more years of providing safe, fun, and educational experiences to nature lovers of all ages.

Kate Davis - Owner / Manager
Kate grew up in upstate New York with her former best friend / now husband Travis.  She studied Psychology at St Lawrence University, which helps her understand and deal with the odd behaviors of the science geeks and bird nerds she has to work with at The Skimmer - Salt Marsh Safari.  During the school year Kate works at a local school district and is a super mom to their two children Kaidson and Molly and their dog Hudson.  In the summer months she holds down the fort in our home office, answers the phones, and manages many of the business aspects for Skimmer Tours.

Bill Stuempfig - Captain
Bill is a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Master Captain with over 35 years of running boat based environmental programs. He grew up on the waters around Ocean City where sailing, fishing, surfing, and exploring the back bays were all in a day's fun. After high school he chose a life on the water instead of college. For years he spent the winters in the Florida Keys captaining his boat and learning about nature. Summers were spent at the Jersey shore, teaching sailing and running nature tours. Since then, he has obtained a Bachelor of Science in Coastal Geology from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, was Owner/Manager of Bay Cats in Ocean City, and founded Sea Level Adventures leading kayak, skiff and sailing trips in the Tuckahoe River area.  In his spare time, Bill is involved with the Ocean City Environmental Club, is the Vice-Chair of the South Jersey Chapter of Surfrider Foundation and volunteers for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey where he maintains over 90 osprey nests and bands osprey chicks in the back bays of Ocean City and Somers Point.  Bill's philosophy for aquatic adventures is to have fun, learn and be safe.

Sam Galick - Naturalist
Growing up on a sheep farm in northern New Jersey, birds were always a part of Sam’s life. His first childhood memory was of Barn Swallows feeding their babies over his playpen while his dad was filling the hayloft. His interest in birds grew as an adolescent; starting from birding competitions in middle school birding classes to being part of a youth team, competing in the World Series of Birding where he traveled to Cape May for the first time at the age of 14. Since then, Sam as had multiple opportunities to count for the Cape May Bird Observatory's various fall migration counts, studying neo-tropical warblers in flight on Cape May Island and counting passing seabirds at Avalon’s Sea Watch. He has also conducted avian impact studies in preparation for proposed offshore wind turbines off of southern New Jersey and Delaware as well as breeding bird surveys at established wind turbines in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Sam has been a contributor to multiple Cape May based bird guides and is a highly skilled nature photographer… the best pictures you’ll see posted on our website, social media, or brochures were taken by him.  When he is not running trips on The Skimmer or doing avian research, Sam works with solar renewable energy… making the world a greener place!

Glen Davis - Naturalist
Glen hails from Brooklyn, NY, but has called Cape May home for more than 16 years. Simply put, he loves living and birding here! Working for the Cape May Bird Observatory in fall 1999 (and subsequently in falls of 2007 and 2014) made the biggest of impacts on him. Glen has had a wide variety of professional experiences such as: professional tour leader, biological consultant, grad student, bartender, musician, teacher, garbage man, veterinary technician. He has traveled, explored, and birded in 47 states and over 20 countries. Glen has worked seasonally for the Cape May Bird Observatory as a researcher, naturalist, and salesperson and is very excited to be returning as this fall season's official songbird counter with the Morning Flight Project. He enjoys working as a naturalist on The Skimmer and takes pride in discussing different topics on every trip to “keep things fresh”. He resides and engages in BBQ in Cape May Point with his wife, Christina "Kashi" Davis.