Adventure Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$65
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Up The Bay Pony Tours
Up The Bay Pony Tours
Up The Bay Pony Tours
5
SafarisAdrenaline & Extreme ToursBoat ToursEco ToursPrivate ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife ToursPhotography ToursDay Trips
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About
My name is Captain Mike. I am a resident of Chincoteague Island who grew up spending most of my summers with family that lived on the island. I spent most of my time fishing and crabbing with my grandfather and getting to know the back bays around Chincoteague and Assateague.
We offer Sunrise and Sunset tours, Personal and Private tours, Public tours, Birding, Photography, and viewings of the southern and northern ponies.
Our tours allow you to have the best, up close and personal experience!!
Chincoteague Island, Virginia
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Why book with Up The Bay Pony Tours
- My other passion is fishing. My fishing charter company is called Hardwired Charters.
- I have been on the water my entire life and have over 30 years experience being on the water around Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. I currently hold a USCG Captains License.
- English
- Professional tour guide
Tours and Tickets by Up The Bay Pony Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
489 reviews
Excellent
490
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
April
Warrenton, VA1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Friends
Captain Mike is the best! He asked us what we wanted to see and made sure we saw everything we asked for and more. He is entertaining, authentic, and passionate about what he does. He is extremely knowledgeable about the island and shares a lot of cool stories and history. Seeing dolphins was definitely the highlight! We will be back for sure.
Written June 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chocolvr
Townville, PA81 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Captain Mike’s mission is to make his tours the highlight of tourists’ vacations. He did just that for my husband and I! Yes, we saw all the things the website lists, all the things shown in the photos. And those were as expected, and great, just as promised! What we didn’t see coming was Mike’s congenial manner, his extensive knowledge of the history of the island, and his casual, natural ability to share stories! In our experience, any tour is going to get you acquainted with the area to some extent, afford you some opportunities for photos. But a truly memorable and wildly fun experience comes primarily from who is captaining the vessel. Captain Mike is truly incredible at his job, and he makes you feel like you are part of a larger story, both his and the island’s! Wie highly recommend this particular experience with this specific captain!
Written April 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joanne C
2 contributions
Apr 2022
Myself and my 4 grandsons went out with Captain Mike and it was a great time. The boys ranged in age from 8 to 3. He told stories, was very knowledgeable about the area and especially the ponies and made the kids laugh. Very highly recommended
Written April 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leah T
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
Captain Mike was phenomenal! Between my husband and 5 year old twins, there were dozens of questions thrown out to him and he answered every one. His knowledge of the island and the ponies was amazing! The best part is is he got us so close to the ponies but remained respectful of kayakers and especially the ponies. I cannot recommend him enough. We are already planning our next trip and Captain Mike will be one of our first things to book when we return!
Written July 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for letting me take your family out! Mike - Up the bay pony tours
Written July 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Robert S
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Couples
We could not have been more pleased w/our outing w.Mike yesterday. Mike's affable manner and eagerness to share and show these special places around Assateague along w/the flora and fauna otherwise not accessible, was wonderful. His knowledge of the wildlife movements (not just those special ponies) gave us views and images we could not have seen otherwise, and in a manner that was respectful of that wildlife. His concern for his passenger's safety showed too, with his monitoring of weather, etc. We have beautiful memories and images to carry us back and lift us, when we return back to our home and jobs. Thanks, Mike for such a spirit lifter. We would recommend you to anyone who asked us
Written September 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the recommendation and review! - Mike
Written September 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Laura Sharp
5 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Captain Mike had answers to our many questions about the ponies, wildlife, community, and island history. He was happy to oblige our inquisitive crew, and we so appreciated his extensive knowledge. Highly recommend choosing Mike, as he is native to the island, has fun stories of growing up there, and knows the ponies' names, personalities and ancestries!
Written July 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for touring with and me and the review! - Mike
Written August 1, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Myles
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Friends
Capt. Mike was informational and a great tour guide who answered all of the questions we had. He was a great eye for sighting birds and ponies. He listened to requests for select ponies we wanted to see and tried his best for us to get the best view of them. I highly recommend Capt. Mike for those who are new to the island and those who just want to have a good time out on the water.
Written June 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CL
Chesapeake, VA10 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Had an all around amazing experience with Captain Mike!
I booked online for a Saturday afternoon and he called me to let me know the earlier tours had bad luck with finding horses because they had been corralled earlier. We rescheduled to Sunday to see about better luck and went out that morning.
On our tour, we went out and saw dolphins, bald eagles and of course, horses! Mike was a fantastic tour guide — knowledgeable, friendly, and great with my two small boys.
This was well worth the cost and I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, next time in that area I will definitely go again!
I booked online for a Saturday afternoon and he called me to let me know the earlier tours had bad luck with finding horses because they had been corralled earlier. We rescheduled to Sunday to see about better luck and went out that morning.
On our tour, we went out and saw dolphins, bald eagles and of course, horses! Mike was a fantastic tour guide — knowledgeable, friendly, and great with my two small boys.
This was well worth the cost and I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, next time in that area I will definitely go again!
Written August 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was glad we were able to get out the following day and locate the ponies! Look forward to seeing you again soon! Mike -
Written September 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Susan K
Chicago, IL2 contributions
Sep 2022
We loved our trip with Captain Mike! He is professional, safety-conscious, knowledgeable, personable and has some great stories about growing up in the community. We knew that there was no guarantee that we would see ponies or dolphins, as they are wild animals, but we saw lots of both! Captain Mike did his best to find them and due to his knowledge of the area and maybe some luck (?), we saw more than we hoped for. Aside from the animals, the boat was clean and comfortable and the scenery was beautiful. We initially thought about booking a cheaper option, but based on the wonderful reviews and the fact that we don't get to this area of the country often, we decided to book this trip and are so happy we did.
Written September 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for spending a few hours on the water with me. Enjoyed having you. Thank you for the kind words! - Mike
Written September 17, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brandy S
Reston, Virginia, United States8 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
I don't even know how to explain how amazing our adventure was... My mom, my kids, and I not only learned so many things about the islands, ponies, and wildlife, but fascinating facts about everything from lighthouses to how dolphins sleep.
Captain Mike made every second of our trip absolutely magical. Core memories were made and my kids are still talking about how "chill" Captain Mike is. I'm still in awe ..
Captain Mike made every second of our trip absolutely magical. Core memories were made and my kids are still talking about how "chill" Captain Mike is. I'm still in awe ..
Written September 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for going with me! Enjoyed sharing the island with everyone! - Mike
Written September 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience