Phoenix grew up in Deep Cove, North Vancouver, with black bears as neighbours and chanterelle mushrooms as part of his backyard landscape. From an early age, life unfolded across land and sea through sailing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, longboarding, scuba diving, and long stretches immersed in deep wilderness, learning to forage from the rainforest’s abundance. As a child, he would sail his dinghy in the steep fiords of the Tsleil-Waututh territory, and Phoenix was immersed in Indigenous tradition and culture through time spent living and travelling with the Coast Salish communities, alongside a lasting passion for voyageur canoe journeys.

Since the age of 16, Phoenix has guided wilderness immersions with nature schools and camps, building a career rooted in outdoor experiential learning. Offshore sailing began in his early twenties with nearly 20,000 nautical miles logged across both coasts of North America, Australia, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. During this time, he also worked behind the lens on major film production in BC, including features for Disney and Paramount, while deepening his skills as a wilderness survival guide.

Phoenix is driven by a commitment to open guests’ minds and hearts to the natural world, bringing seamanship, humility, and reverence for the natural world to every expedition.