Swimming with Icebergs

An interview with cold water woman and pilot, Dani Martin.

I first met Dani while working as an outrigger canoe guide up in the San Juan Islands. Dani was my co-guide, all the way from Salt Lake City, Utah. She took a leap of faith and committed to a summer playing in and on the Salish Sea - not her usual environment. 

During our summer there, we swam and played in the Salish Sea with other like-minded women, one in particular who you might remember as the Mermaid from San Juan Island, Melissa Wickey, her interview is linked here. This was Dani’s first experience in cold water - and from swim number one she was HOOKED. I mean, like, there’s no going back type of thing. 

Dani recently took a job as a float plane instructor (yeah, she’s also a pilot) up in Talkeetna, Alaska. This opened up a whole new world of ‘cold water woman-ing’ (can we make that a verb???) and now Dani swims in waters riddled with icebergs, glacier melt streams, and alpine lakes, usually arriving by her plane. 

Meet Dani. 

1. Please introduce yourself. Who are you and where are you from? 

My name is Dani and I am from Utah! Growing up in Park City, I was fortunate to have been raised participating in outdoor activities. My gym classes at school consisted of ski lessons, my backyard was filled with mountains and trails that I got to hike and mountain bike through, and my extracurricular activities consisted of swim lessons and other sports. In 2021, I obtained my degree in Outdoor Recreation Studies and Natural Resource Management, and moved to San Juan Island, WA. On the island, I worked for Salish Sea Voyaging Society— a nonprofit focusing on Polynesian sailing canoes and outdoor programs for the community. The island is where Malia and Melissa and I started swimming in the ocean. 

2. Where are you based now? What have you been up to this summer? 

In May of 2023 I moved to Talkeetna, Alaska (central AK) to take my first job as a professional pilot. I spent the summer working for Alaska Floats and Skis as a floatplane instructor. My job consisted of flying to remote lakes all around Denali National Park and the Talkeetna Mountain Range, and helping pilots obtain their seaplane ratings. In my free time I would explore other places in Alaska, getting some experience flying bush planes and landing on gravel bars in rivers, and of course— jumping into any glacier lake or river I possibly could. At the beginning of October 2023, I moved to Ketchikan, Alaska (southeast AK) to take a job flying slightly bigger floatplanes called Beavers. Ketchikan is on an island and is surrounded by other small islands on the North Pacific Ocean. The water temperature here ranges from 42-55ºF. 

3. Tell me a little bit more about Alaska. 

Alaska is an interesting place. I always dreamed of moving here for the adventure side of things. I dreamed it was a place where outdoorsy people came and everyone climbed, skied, hiked, rafted, etc. Instead, I discovered that people usually move to Alaska to get away from people, and while Alaska is ‘the last frontier’, outdoor recreation is actually incredibly challenging to access without owning your own airplane. While I haven’t had the easiest time finding ‘my’ community here, I have made unexpected friendships. And while I haven’t participated in the activities I was expecting, I’ve really enjoyed the unexpected simple things Alaska has brought me. I have learned to enjoy the activities and things that are accessible to me here such as fishing, hiking, bear watching, and swimming. Lastly, Alaska for me has been a place to connect with and learn more about myself and the environment around me. In Talkeetna, I got the experience of living in a walled tent with no electricity, no water, and no neighbors. That really taught me about the way a lot of people live up here and how hard they work, as well as how privileged I have always been to have those things. 

4. How has your experience been as a ‘cold water woman’ up there? 

My cold water swimming in San Juan was a lot more consistent, staying in the water for as long as my body would allow me. My experience as a cold water woman in Alaska has been much more casual. Working as a pilot, I haven’t had a ton of time to dedicate towards swimming, and the water is ice cold anyways and I couldn’t stand being in the water for a ton of time. The change in my swims has taught me that all things in life eb and flow, including cold water swimming and that is okay. It’s important to listen to your body and be patient with yourself always. Even if you’re not getting in cold water everyday for 45 minutes, you can still get a lot of health benefits from a quick jump into a body of water. 

5. What benefits have you felt/seen from cold water exposure? 

I always feel so much lighter when I get out of cold water. For me, getting into a cold body of water is an opportunity to get grounded and get back into my body and connect with the environment that I am in. I breathe deeper, and am just overall more connected to my senses. The rest of my day always seems to go better as well. I’m more present, I’m happier, and it’s easier to make healthy choices. 

6. What’s something coming up that you’re excited for? 

I am currently looking into buying a sailboat and living on it in Ketchikan! Living on a sailboat is something I have always dreamed of doing, even though I don’t yet know how to sail. I’m excited to wake up on the water every morning and have cold water swims even more accessible and safe to me. 

7. Tell us a little more about your job. 

My current job in Ketchikan is essentially a mail lady! In the winter months I fly between Ketchikan and various remote island villages that are only accessible by boat or plane to deliver mail and cargo, and bring the occasional passenger back to ‘the big city’, AKA Ketchikan, where there is an international airport. In the summers, Ketchikan is a pretty well known spot for cruise ships stop and the company I work for adds on Misty Fjord National Park tours where I will get to show visitors the incredible place I live and teach them about the environment up here. 

8. What makes you excited when you wake up in the morning? 

I am just in love with all aspects of life right now. I’m in love with the journey— the highs and lows. Every day in my world is so different that there isn’t any expectation of what’s coming next and I’m just grateful for the experience of all of it. I never know who I will get to meet, what stories I will get to hear, what sea creatures I will get to see, what lessons I will get to learn, or what next wild idea I’ll get. 

9. What would you say to those who want to take a leap of faith into the unknown but are fearful? 

Go for your dreams. You can always, always go back to what you were doing, but you never know what could have happened if you don’t take that leap of faith. Doing what you’re used to is comfortable, but you aren’t on this planet to only experience comfort. You’re meant to experience every human emotion there is. Go see what’s out there for you in the world, and if you end up hating it, you can always go back to what you were doing. 

Well, that about wraps it up perfectly wouldn’t you say? Thank you, thank you Miss Dani Martin. You are as inspiring as ever. Honored to share your voice with this community - to more iceberg swimming & present-moment living! To follow along with Dani's adventures check out her Instagram linked here.