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Maryland (MD)
Ocean City
Things to Do in Ocean City
Assateague Adventure
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Assateague Adventure

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See all things to do
Assateague Adventure
4.5
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About
Ocean City, Maryland
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Travelers' Choice
2022
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Assateague Adventure
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(29 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
248 reviews
Excellent
141
Very good
64
Average
27
Poor
5
Terrible
11
RickP_20625
Washington DC, DC110 contributions
Wonderful mini-cruise to see Assateague Island and the bays.
Jul 2022 • Couples
This was a wonderful, inexpensive narrated cruise by covered pontoon boat from the MR Ducks Marina on Talbot Street. After crossing the Water over to the West Ocean City fishing harbor for a look at the fishing fleet, you cruise up the bay side of Assateague barrier island. The cruise is narrated and geared towards the many families with children. The guide points out wildlife, the history, and talks about the wild ponies. The boat pulls up to a small on Assateague Island And everyone is given a sieve net to dig in the sand for shells, rocks, minnows, crabs, and other marine life. The boat captain throws out a circular seine net and has the kids haul it in to see small fish and crabs. The boat makes about 6 trips each day and the time from boarding to exiting back at the dock is 90 minutes. Restrooms on board. Water and soda available on board.
Written July 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Vmahart1106
Philadelphia39 contributions
Great activity for kids
Jul 2021 • Family
This trip was perfect for our children (all under 6). They enjoyed being on the boat. The tour of the fishing area gave the adults history of OCMD, which was interesting. We saw the wild horses, about 10. Next, we went to the little island. The kids had a ball using the nets to attempt to catch creatures. The guide threw a net in and caught little fish to bring to the sand so the kids could see them up close, he was quick to return them to the water so they were safe. After we returned to the boat, the other guide showed the kids some creatures from the bay. The kids enjoyed it very much. After we returned you could buy the picture they took of you and your group for $10. It was a fun day!
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MaritaGodfrey
Pittsburgh, PA211 contributions
Worthwhile for Adults and Children
Sep 2021
This was a very worthwhile tour. They tell you at the beginning that they can't guarantee what you'll see as every day is different. We really lucked out. We saw plenty of ponies and lots and lots of dolphins to boot. Lots of very interesting information about the Maryland ponies and the Virginia ponies was provided. Most of us got off the boat to "fish" a little. It was mostly just minnows, but one man did catch a tiny crab, which he had to throw back in. On the way back, they did a little "Show and Tell" of some sea creatures. Audience participation was strongly encouraged. It was fun for both the adults and the children on board.

The price is reasonable.$18/adult; $16/senior. However, the "discount" is kind of bogus. The coupon is for $2.00 off - that's $2.00 total, not $2.00 per person. BUT, they charge you a $1.00 per person "landing" fee when you step off the boat at the little sandbar. Whatever - it was still fun and worth the price.
Written September 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kerith H
Philadelphia, PA6 contributions
Beautiful views, but feels like a floating commercial.
Oct 2021 • Family
This was a slow paced pontoon boat ride that takes you along a main waterfront restaurant stretch with explanations of some of the big fishing and clamming boats and then out to a small sandbar at Assateague Island. Overall a nice trip, but not something I would do again. Make sure to check for coupons!

Pros-
Lots of available times
Informative tour guide
Beautiful views of the Island
Very cool seeing the wild ponies and learning the history of the ponies on Assateague and Chincoteague.
The kids enjoyed seeing the horseshoe crab, spider crab, and whelk on the boat on the return trip.
Helpful to have the nets to use on the island.

Cons-
Felt like a large portion of the ride was just advertising the different restaurants. The first 20 min of the ride is going up and down the waterfront hearing about the various restaurants. Could easily skip that portion and spend more time around Assateague.
While no smoking is allowed on the boat, but is allowed on the island, it resulted in all the smokers standing right by the ramp while people were unloading and having to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to the water. Definitely put a damper on the trip.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Meron H
48 contributions
Ideal for kids
Jun 2021
Put friends but I went on this tour with my family (4 adults). It was a nice ride, exactly about an hour. It first takes you around ocean city and the tour guide gives a brief tour of some historical sites (boats, docks, etc). Then you stop at the island and they give you 15 min to walk around and look for/catch some sealife. They provide you with nets. Most people didn't catch anything. Then once back onboard, they bring around sea creatures they keep onboard in two small tanks.

3 things that could be improved: the woman speaking into the mic and giving the tour should annunciate and speak more clearly. It was hard to understand a lot as she was mumbling. Also, more stops around the island and time to explore would have been nice. Lastly, they bring up some kids to walk around with the specimens on board while the woman narrates. The children (expectedly) didn't do a great job bringing things around so everyone can see.

Overall, was an okay experience but nothing too exciting.
Written June 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
453daneb
Vestal, NY72 contributions
Just OK. Good look at nature with too much non-nature talking.
Aug 2022 • Family
It was OK. The boat left 15 minutes late which was annoying because they want you there 30 minutes early. Way too much advertising of local restaurants - we are on a nature tour not a sales pitch.

On the plus side we did learn some things and got to see the wild horses up close. My kids loved playing in the water and the live creature s they had on board.

On the whole we enjoyed it, but it was not something we are raving about. My suggestion is to cut out the advertising I enjoyed the history of Ocean City and nature related info. The horses themselves are amazing.
Written August 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sarah R
1 contribution
Great First Boat Experience for Young Children
Aug 2022 • Family
We wanted to take our young children ages 4 and 2.5 on a boat for the first time. This was the perfect first experience for them. Smooth boat ride, hands on experiences, and fun facts about OCMD for the grown ups. They enjoyed stopping on Assateague and using the nets to look for small crabs and fish. We also got to stop and see a herd of the ponies and learn more about them. Price was very reasonable and the time frame of the trip was great especially having a 2.5 year old who obviously has trouble sitting still. Highly recommend this boat adventure, especially for families with young kids.
Written August 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Videotonyk81
Pittsburgh, PA226 contributions
A must do!
Aug 2022
My daughter loves horses so seeing the wild ponies was a must do. We almost booked another trip, but changed our minds last minute to this trip, based on reviews. I'm very glad we did! We booked the 9am trip, before the heat of the day kicked in. People starting lining up about 30 minutes prior to departure. The cruise wasn't even half full which was great! The guide was super informative. We learned so much about the history of Ocean City! As soon as we crossed the bay we saw wild horses. The pulled up close for pictures and told us about the animals and how the state cares for them. We went further up the island and got to get off the boat and explore the beach area. They supple a net to find seashells and small animals. We found a lot of nice shells and hermit crabs. There was also a touch tank on board and we got to learn about and meet different types of crabs. This was easily the highlight of our week in Ocean City!
Written August 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
lahanson
Lake Benton, MN409 contributions
Great history and fun exploring
Jul 2022
This was a great trip for a family. The price was really affordable and the length was just perfect. We took off from the harbor and cruised through the fish unloading channel. Our guide explained the history of fishing in the area. Then we cruised over to Assateague Island. On the way the guide explained the history behind the island and how they think wild horses came to live there. She also explained the differences between how Maryland manages their part of the island and how Virginia manages their part. Once at the island we stopped and got out to walk around in the water. Everyone got a little net and they told us to dig down an inch or 2 in the sand to find sea life. We found a ton of hermit crabs and even 2 baby blue crabs. On our way back to the harbor we did finally see 3 wild horses. 1 of them was close to the water so we got a good look. There are only 80 horses on the island and the island is really long, so there is no guarantee that you will see them. Overall this was a great tour for our family.
Written July 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
UniqueThrows4Less
Elkridge, MD12 contributions
Relaxing, informative sightseeing tour
Jul 2020 • Family
Our family really enjoyed the Assateague Adventure boat ride. The captain was friendly; really appreciate his efforts towards respecting our constitutional rights. The tour narrator shared about Ocean City history, which was informative. We had a few minutes on the island, scoping out sea creatures with provided nets (wear water shoes). We saw wild horses on the distant shores. Drinks were available for purchase, a welcome refreshment on a hot and humid day-the cruise canopy was a welcome reprieve.
Affordable, fun and highly recommended
Written July 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Assateague Adventure (Ocean City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go