I know Tom and have been on Alaska Quest a couple of times when we were cruising in Alaska on our boat. It is not uncommon to see deer swimming from island to island - and, they are very good swimmers - usually. Tom thinks these guys just got tired out so, he gave them a ride... By the way, the brown bears or Grizzlies are very good swimmers also. A commercial fisherman in Juneau told us that frequently Grizzlies swim out to boats at anchor if they smell a fresh load of salmon. The fishermen don't use bear spray or air horns - a 12 gage with 1 1/2 oz hollow point slugs are more effective.
Keith
Lady J