Outer Banks Adventures
Manteo, North Carolina
The Outer Banks is a group of barrier islands off North Carolina that are known for their pristine beaches, historic lighthouses and famous shipwreck diving sites. Groups can explore some of these coastal highlights through Outer Banks Adventure, a family-owned airboat company managed by Jamie Moore.
“Saltwater is in my veins,” said Moore, whose family has operated boats in the Chesapeake Bay area for over 40 years. “I could captain a boat before I could ride a bike.”
Outer Banks Adventures offers a wide range of tour options, including sunrise and sunset tours, photography tours, historical tours, eco-tours and paddleboard excursions. The company’s six-passenger airboat covers up to 28 miles of the region, allowing guests to get out and explore remote sandbars and private islands that are often inaccessible to other watercraft. Groups often encounter wildlife such as dolphins, stingrays, ghost crabs and hermit crabs.
According to Moore, every tour experience is different. He described one special tour memory when he spotted several sea turtles entangled in a net and stopped the boat to rescue them.
“I saw something hit the surface of the water and was able to get them on board and perform a quick health assessment before releasing them back into the water,” said Moore. “That was a pretty amazing experience.”
www.chesapeakebayadventure.com
Daisey’s Island Cruises
Chincoteague Island, Virginia
Chincoteague Island is a quaint seaside town on an island of the same name. From the city docks, groups can access the beautiful 37-mile barrier island of Assateague, which is home to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area that is home to more than 320 species of birds, as well as the famous Chincoteague wild ponies.
Though there are several boat tour companies that service the island, Daisey’s Island Cruises is the oldest and one of the most highly regarded tour companies on Chincoteague. During the company’s two-hour scenic tour, guests can sail around the salt-water marsh and maritime forests of Assateague Island and learn about local aquaculture like oysters and clams while keeping an eye out for roaming bands of wild ponies.
“I really don’t think you can find another place quite like this, with clean, pure salt water and wild horses,” said Scott Landolt, manager at Daisy’s Island Cruises. “There’s only a few other places in the world where you can see wild horses like this.”
Daisey’s Island Cruises also offers an Adventure Tour across the Atlantic Ocean in a six-passenger catamaran that provides a wonderful opportunity for dolphin sightings. Tours are available throughout the year, even during the winter months. Landolt described one memorable experience when he took a group to the island during a snowstorm.
“It was kind of crazy,” he said with a laugh. “But to see the snow on the backs of the horses and on their manes — it was an incredible sight.”
