We booked a private tour for our family of three on a visit to Chincoteague. Our hotel was just a couple miles north of the boat slips, and parking was easy. Captain Jake greeted us from the docks and we knew this trip was going to be a fun time any way we cut it—he was very kind and had a great laid-back attitude.
The craft taking us was a 25+ foot pontoon boat—extremely comfortable. Despite being practically in the Atlantic, the boat barely rocked throughout the journey.
We were very pleased with the way in which the boat captains seemed to help each other out—at one point the radio squawked to Jake about some foal running wild along the beach, so he zipped up the coast so we could catch a glimpse. Beyond the dozens of ponies, we also saw bald eagles, herons, and plenty of pelicans and seagulls diving into the bay for breakfast.
At several points, Jake educated us on the history of the horses, how we have to balance provision of care without creating a dependency, and other aspects of outdoorsmanship and conservation. He was a great teacher and I really appreciated how patient he was in permitting her to take as must time as she wanted peering through binoculars to see the horses.
The best part of the trip was at the end when we took 15 extra minutes to see dolphins. They swam right past the boat several times—what magnificent creatures. I’d recommend this boat touring company for any family looking for a great learning experience.