About Us

Josh Brown has been working at Captain John as a deckhand since the age of 17 where he quickly took an interest in the industry and pursued his captain’s license. At the age of 22 years old, he received his 100-ton Captain’s license. Josh was born and raised in Plymouth and has been active on the waters of Cape Cod Bay all his life. When he is not out on the water with us, you can find him not too far from the waters edge fishing or hanging out with friends and family. Josh is CPR and First Aid Certified.

Kenny Hyslop has been working at Captain John as a deckhand since the age of 13 after a field trip sparked his interest in fishing. When he turned 19 years old, he received his 100-ton Captain’s license and has been fishing the waters of Cape Cod Bay ever since. Kenny grew up in Plymouth, where he still lives now. When he is not out on the water, you can find him hanging out with his 4 kids or fishing with friends. Kenny is certified in CPR and primarily runs the Captain John & Son.

Jack Gould grew up in Sandwich, MA and has wanted to be a captain since he was young. He grew up sailing and fishing. Jack graduated from Maine Maritime Academy in 2020 and has had his license since 2018. Jack is First Aid and CPR certified. Outside of work, Jack likes to spend time fishing with friends and family.

Jack was born and raised in Plymouth, MA. At the age of 15, he began working at Captain John as a deckhand as he has always had a love for the ocean and fishing. When he turned 21, he received his 100 ton Captain’s license. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Jack is certified in CPR and primarily runs the Capt. John & Son and the Pilgrim Belle.

Mike Hickey has been working on the water for the majority of his life. He is also a Registered Maine Guide, and when he is not operating vessels at Captain John Boats, you can try to find him in the woods of Maine. He is First Aid and CPR certified. Mike operates any one of our boats on any given day, so if you see him on board, feel free to stop by the wheelhouse and say hi!

Lisa Burke started with Captain John Boats as an intern in 2012. She graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2015 with a Bachelors of Science in Marine Transportation. In 2017, she was promoted to Captain and has been running the Pilgrim Belle ever since. She holds a 2nd Mate Unlimited Tonnage USCG license as well as a 100-ton Captain license.

Brian Bruni grew up in Kingston Ma. He got his 100-ton license after serving 8 years in the Navy. When he is not on the water, he’s either flying or jumping out of planes. Brian is first aid and CPR qualified.

Lindsay Hirt, a Plymouth native, loves her salty hometown so much she decided to make a full circle back here to work after about a decade of academic study and field research along both poles of the eastern seaboard. Lindsay is a marine biologist with a focus on wildlife emergency management and a fondness for teaching others, especially kids, about environmental conservation. She is trained in wildlife rescue for both land and marine species. Over the course of her career, she has interned, volunteered, or worked directly with a wide range of conservation groups, including the National Marine Life Center, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, New England Aquarium, and the Goldenrod Foundation. The deciding factor for becoming a marine biologist was one Lindsay will never forget- seeing her first whale on a Captain John Boat at age five! She hopes you’ll be just as inspired after an amazing day on the water watching whales.

Michelle Collins comes to us from the fine state of Illinois. She graduated in 2012 from the University of  Illinois with degrees in Integrative Biology and Psychology. Just after graduation, she came to Plymouth as an intern on Captain John, started working on the whale watches and has been onboard every season since! After spending almost a decade working in marine mammal conservation,  Michelle now works in science communication for the Commonwealth. When she is not onboard, you can find Michelle with her two favorite dogs, crafting, and trying to keep up with Taylor Swift. Michelle loves seeing whales every summer and is excited to see what the next season whale watch has in store!

Kelly Coffin was born in Plymouth but spent much of her childhood in the Sunshine State. After receiving a degree in Biology from the University of South Florida she spent the next decade working with marine mammals with much of that being rescue and rehabilitation work. When she made her way back to Massachusetts she delved into the world of wildlife rehabilitation and kept up with her love of marine mammals by volunteering with local organizations such as the National Marine Life Center and IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue Team and by joining the Captain John Boats in 2019. In the off-season she travels around the world participating in rescue, rehabilitation, research and conservation projects for numerous conservation organizations. She also enjoys swimming with humpback whales in their breeding grounds of the Silver Bank after watching them feed all season long here on Stellwagen Bank.

Originally from Michigan, Sabrina Braunlich moved to Massachusetts after graduating college with a degree in Biology and Animal Science. She worked in the whale conservation field for a number of years and most recently, works with the Commonwealth doing science communication for river restoration. With a lifetime of experience on the water, Sabrina joined the Captain John crew in 2018 as a naturalist. Her favorite part of whale watches (other than the whales of course) is talking to passengers and will always get excited for an ocean sunfish! When not near water, Sabrina can usually be found listening to live music or exploring a new brewery.

Hailing from Boston, Lisa has always loved whales and the ocean from a young age. She has worked in the environmental conservation field for a number of years, ranging from whales to turtles. As much as she loves whales she will get equally excited pointing out sea birds, especially ospreys and northern gannetts. When not on board she enjoys hanging with her 2 pups, kayaking and listening to true crime podcasts.