The Cape May Skimmer Returns
For me, one of the big disappointments of last fall's "Bird Blogger Conference" in Cape May was that The Skimmer, the pontoon boat that runs nature trips into the salt marsh, was no longer running. Well, good news folks! The Skimmer has a new owner and is now up and sailing again. It began sailing yesterday from its new location across from the Two Mile Beach Unit of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, the Dolphin Cove Marina on Ocean Drive, at the base of the Toll Bridge. If you go to Cape May, be sure to check it out. While you may not see all the rarities that have people running all over Cape May, you'll get an extremely pleasant and interesting jaunt into the "backwoods" of the salt marsh where you'll encounter some fantastic birds and wildlife.
3 comments:
I was on a "nature cruise" based in Wildwood Crest about ten years ago. Unfortunately the captain was more interested in talking about a drawbridge and other landmarks than discussing the birds in the saltmarsh. I still have positive memories of the cruise, though, because it was the first time I saw American oystercatchers. I imagine a real nature cruise targeted for birders would be much better.
I hope the new owners are as good as the old one, Captain Bob. He would point out every bird, every landmark, and teach a lot about the habitat. He would even pull the boat up, get out, and scoop up a chunk of marsh and show it to everyone. He knew all the fish, crustaceans, etc. too.
Hurray! Next time, we'll do the back bay cruise!
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