For nearly a decade, Suquamish tribal member Tony Adams made his living as a geoduck diver, working long hours in cold waters to bring up one of the most valuable shellfish in the world. It was a job that combined skill, endurance, and a deep connection to the sea — a natural fit for a Suquamish tribal member whose life had always revolved around the water.

Then, at 35, everything changed. Adams developed sudden-onset allergies that made it impossible to equalize under pressure. He could no longer dive. “It was tough,” Adams said. “That was my life, and I had to hang it all up.”

But after a period of struggle, with his career adrift, he found a way to chart a new course in 2016.

A new course

That’s when Adams applied to Washington State Ferries. Competition was fierce — that year, there were 837 applicants, and only about 80 were selected. Adams was number 52 on the list. “Getting selected was huge,” Adams said. “And I’ve loved it ever since.”

What began as entry-level work cleaning cabins and assisting passengers has grown into a career that has taken Adams into increasingly advanced roles. He has worked as a deckhand, car deck supervisor, boatswain’s mate in charge of all the cabin crew, and helmsman with more than 3,000 hours at the wheel.

“All day long, I’m literally driving the ship,” Adams said. “The captain brings it into the dock, but I’m his right hand — answering the radio, keeping time logs, making sure he has all the information to handle whatever comes up.”

Always something new

Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry operator in the United States, and functions as a “marine highway” for commuters, tourists, and freight across Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. The system operates 21 vessels, serving 10 routes and 20 terminals carrying some 20 million passengers and 9 million vehicles every year.

To make all that happen, WSF employs 2,000 staff, who work not only aboard vessels but also in career tracks at the various terminals and the Bainbridge Island maintenance facility.

Working aboard ship requires extensive training and certifications. New hires must secure a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card from Homeland Security, undergo five background checks, pass a Coast Guard physical and drug test, and earn a Merchant Mariner Credential.

“That’s just to get in the door,” Adams said. “Then you’re off to firefighting school at the ‘Fire Dragon’ in Ballard, medical training, life boat training — there’s always something new to learn.”

All that training and experience was put to the test on recent evening in October during the Seattle-Bainbridge Island run aboard the M/V Tacoma.

Rescue at Sea

As the sun slipped behind the Olympic Mountains, the lookout spotted something strange from his perch next the big ship’s wheelhouse in the fading twilight in Elliott Bay. An odd, erratic flash was piercing out from the waterline not far from the Seattle Great Wheel. The ship altered course to investigate.

It didn’t take long for the crew to see that a tandem kayak had been swamped by high waves, leaving two people clinging to the overturned hull.

As part of the designated rescue crew, Adams and his team were already getting the ferry’s starboard side rescue boat into the water.

“We launched the rescue boat and got to them within minutes,” Adams said. “They were in shock, but we got them safely aboard and then handed them off to the Seattle Fire Department ship.”

Passengers applauded as the Tacoma’s rescue crew returned to the ferry. “It went the way training says it should,” he said. “Nobody lost their cool. We did it by the book and got the job done.”

In aletter of commendation to Adams, WSF’s Director of Marine Operations Dirk van der Raadt wrote “It is easy to talk about service and safety as ideals. It is much harder to live in a moment of urgency, with lives depending on your choices. You and your shipmates did exactly that.”

Pride in the Suquamish

Adams has served on nearly all the ships in the WSF fleet, but none carries more meaning than when he’s aboard theM/V Suquamish. “It’s a Rolls-Royce — literally. It has Rolls-Royce controls,” Adams said with a grin.

From the beginning, he played a role in shaping the Olympic-class ferry’s cultural presence. When the vessel was being designed, Adams connected state officials with tribal artists, Elders, and historical experts in tribal government and the Suquamish Museum.

“It became one of the most tribally involved vessels in the whole fleet,” Adams said.

Working on board theSuquamish when the ship was first commissioned in 2018 also gave him a chance to share his culture with passengers. “I was in the cabin in an entry-level job, but I got to give people tours and explain the artwork,” he said. “It even gave me the chance to wear my proper tribal name Hab-see-wis on my nameplate. Nobody else gets to do that.”

When theSuquamish launched, Adams secured the ferry’s first flag from the staff captain and donated it to the Tribal Elders for display in the Elders Lodge.

Paying it forward

Adams isn’t just building his own career. He is helping other tribal members follow his path.

For the past three years, he has increasingly lent a hand with recruiting, attending tribal jobs fairs, speaking with students at Chief Kitsap Academy, and guiding candidates through the maze of Coast Guard paperwork, TSA checks, and medical requirements.

“The first tribal member I helped get hired was Connor Maloney,” Adams said. “Now, I’ve got another just starting and two more in the pipeline. My goal is to have a wall of photos of everyone I’ve helped get jobs.”

He credits the Tribe’s477 Workforce Program for covering fees and helping applicants with appointments for fingerprints, physicals, and other requirements. “They make sure cost isn’t a barrier,” Adams said.

For Adams, it’s about showing that a future on the ferries is within reach. “If people see my success and know where I’ve come from, I hope it gives them some hope that they can do it too,” he said. “We spend our lives on the water — if I didn’t fish or dive, I might not have ended up on the ferries. But it’s a natural fit, and it’s a great career.”

This kind of enthusiasm has made him a natural fit to speak at events such as the Seattle Boat Show to help share the WSF story. Adams gives back in other ways as well. He serves on the Suquamish Foundation’s board of directors as well as the tribe’s Higher Education Board. In March, he testified before the Washington State Senate and met with Gov. Bob Ferguson to help pass a legislation expanding Maritime training and education opportunities for high school students.

Looking ahead

As Adams continues to advance, he’s setting his sights on higher maritime certifications with hopes of one day of becoming a captain. Along the way, he is also sharing the journey at home — raising two sons as a single dad.

Meanwhile, Adams has also rejoined the Suquamish Canoe Family in recent years as co-skipper of the tribe’s support vessel, theM/V Challacum. The barge travels alongside the canoes, carrying gear, supplies, and safety equipment every summer for the annual Tribal Canoe Journey, among other events.

“For me, it’s come full circle,” Adams said. “I grew up around the Canoe Journey. Now I’m helping guide it — literally — and making sure everyone stays safe on the water.”

His youngest son Donavan has been training aboard theChallacum as well, learning deckhand duties from his dad and the rest of the support crew. The experience blends family, culture, and seamanship — the same values that drive Adams in his work with the ferries.

“It’s powerful to be out there with your community, to feel that connection to the water,” he said. “Everything I’ve learned on the ferries comes into play — navigation, communication, safety. It’s all part of the same path.

(This story appeared in the January 2026 issue of theSuquamish News.Click here to read more of the latest stories about Suquamish people and culture.)