Suzanne Hunt

Suzanne grew up in Massachusetts and headed to Colorado in 1980, where she fell in love with the majestic Rocky Mountains and Boulder's laid-back atmosphere. She has called Boulder home ever since. As luck would have it, in 1995, she met Ben (Nat Hab Founder & President) and his wife Laura, and they became friends. Years passed, Suzanne had her second child, and she found herself searching for a flexible job that allowed her to balance her career with family time. Nat Hab was growing and, in 2001, welcomed her in, and it was a perfect fit! Beginning as an assistant to the office manager and transitioning into the reservations department, they squeezed her into a utility room with a pile of papers! Suzanne's role has evolved to become our Adventure Gear Specialist, aka "Gear Goddess"! After coming eye to eye with a gray whale in Baja on her first Nat Hab trip, Suzanne’s love for intimate wildlife experiences and photography began. Her Nat Hab travels have taken her all around the world, from sailing alongside orcas across the Inside Passage and hearing howling wolves in Yellowstone to appreciating the geology and wildlife of Newfoundland and Labrador. She was utterly amazed by New Zealand's South Island, from its jaw-dropping scenery to spotting an elusive kiwi foraging on the beach one night. Her most memorable adventures are the ones she was able to share with her children, getting up close and personal with the grizzlies of coastal Katmai with her son, the polar bears of Churchill with her daughter and the wonder of the Galapagos Islands on our family departure with both. In 2017, Suzanne and her daughter returned to Churchill, where they snorkeled and kayaked with the "canaries of the sea," beluga whales. Her trip of a lifetime was making it through the Drake Passage to explore the Antarctic Peninsula, where she hopes to one day return to immerse herself in penguins, icebergs and the polar plunge again! In 2018, Suzanne headed to Africa for the first time on an unforgettable adventure to Botswana and Zambia, where she photographed elephants, baboons, crocs, giraffes, zebras, lions, sables, leopards and so much more. Post-pandemic, her traveling revved up again, venturing to Italy, Maui and, in 2023, Nat Hab’s Iceland adventure, with thousands of puffins, an active volcano, glaciers, icebergs, black sand beaches and whales breaching in front of her. Who knows what's next?

In the Galapagos Islands we visited Hood Island (Espanola). On Gardner’s Bay we hung out with the sea lions that were oblivious to us sharing the beach. This baby had lost his mother and was desperately searching and being ignored by the sea lions he approached. I would have adopted him!

The magnificent Waved Albatross. Although it wasn’t mating season, we were fortunate enough to witness the mating dance between a couple, quite entertaining with their clicking, bobbing heads, screeching, mimicking and dancing circles around each other.

With my friend, Janet, we are absorbing the magnificent view from the cliffs of Espanola with Waved Albatross and Galapagos Seagulls flying over us. Spectacular!

I love birding and one of my favorite birds in the world to watch is puffins. They are such a fast and fascinating bird, flying and diving for fish. Taken on the cliffs of Newfoundland, I got to watch them build their nests just feet away.

Another incredible spot for birds is none other than Bird Rock at Cape St. Mary’s Newfoundland Sea Bird Ecological Reserve. What we could see on this misty, hazy day was crazy! Bird Rock is a sea stack that sits just a few feet from the main body of Cape St. Mary’s headland. It rises 100 meters from the sea and is the second largest Gannet rookery in North America.

On our way to Bird Rock, these beautiful sheep appeared in the mist. They graze freely so you never know where or when you’ll cross paths with them.

While sailing on the Inside Passage in search of Orcas, we anchored and explored the shores. Here I am kayaking and checking out a sea urchin.

The landscape and skies were so blue and beautiful and I couldn’t get enough. Here with my coworker Valerie, we were enjoying the peace and vistas of the Inside Passage of British Columbia.

Yellowstone National Park is one of those places where you feel like you’re on another planet. It was so fascinating, pulsing and alive. I loved it!

One of the amazing opportunities for adventure came in 2009 when I was able to bring my son, Kevin along. Being able to expose him to Alaska and Katmai National Park with the Grizzlies and other wildlife was unforgettable. He brought a lot of laughs to the trip and I think it sparked the naturalist in him. Now he wants to be a guide for NHA!

Being able to be so close to the grizzlies took a while to be comfortable with. After I realized they could care less about us and just wanted to eat the clams, I relaxed. Those claws are pretty impressive.

My son, Kevin, was all about getting his hands into the muck turning over rocks along the shore and exploring. He almost found it more interesting than sitting for hours observing bears. What 13 year old wouldn’t love it? He really shined on this shore excursion.

Being able to see Bald Eagles in such abundance and so close was surreal to me. Kevin not only discovered his inner naturalist but also his inner photographer. I wish I could take credit for this one!

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