This is an incredible, reasonably priced, family experience. In fact, combined with dinner for a couple of people might be a pretty awesome date. There's plenty to be learned by anyone who goes aboard. The crew is very experienced and highly educated it seems to be a very common experience to find naturalists and bird people among the other passengers onboard. Again, the price is reasonable, if you're buying your tickets online, make sure you know which location you'll be departing from. Lastly, the trip, like the ferry and the tide, waits for no man. Be on time. read more

We had pretty good time on the tour. It was a little over 2 hours and there was lots of helpful info given. We saw a fair amount of the marsh and heard plenty of dad scientist jokes. I don't know if it was expensive or not at $40 per. I know the kids had a good time with the interactive portion of the tour and probably everyone learned something except maybe the 2-3 experienced birders but maybe even they learned something read more

Fabulous ecotourism of the cape may waterways with Travis and Sam, saw so many amazing birds and other wildlife!

We had the best time-enjoyed it a lot-lots of fun activities with sea creatures, very good interaction with kids, lots of funny jokes (thanks Bob), very kid friendly-my 3 nieces ages 9 to 13 really enjoyed it. read more

Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari - Sea creatures - Boat Charters Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

Went on the Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari with family and had such a great time! The staff was so knowledgeable and I felt like I learned so much from them. We saw a number of local species of birds and wildlife that is native to the area. All while enjoying beautiful views. This is a family friendly tour and is really great if you'd like to learn more about our wildlife and conservation. They had a touch tank where the kids or anyone could get up close and see some of the creatures that live in our waterways. It's about 2 hours long. 10/10 would recommend! read more

This was such an amazing experience for the whole family. We did the Marine Life Safari...the kids loved learning about the animals and riding on the boat. The naturalists on board were experts on all of the plants and animals, and we all learned a ton. My 2 year old loved touching the horseshoe crabs, my 10 year old really got her hands wet and was holding shrimp and crabs and walking in the marsh (wear shoes you can get muddy if you want to go in the marsh!). My 13 year old got to drive the boat and chat w the captain. We saw dolphins, sea stars, hermit crabs, all kinds of birds, and some sort of sting-ray looking creature. Go do this with your kids now. Highly recommend! read more

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[957] 7/17/2019 Hubby decided to reserve this excursion due to all the positive review on trip advisor. I'm so glad we did as the three of us enjoyed our trip (couple of hours). The guide is a biology teacher and very knowledgeable on all the birds and local things. His assistant is also very friendly and knew a lot. They were both friendly with child and had a ton of stuff for kids to touch and participate. This is DEFINITELY a kid friendly trip. You don't need a kid as I enjoyed learning about the birds.. .seeing the nest... Just life Plenty of parking at this dock. There is no "office' but you will easily see the boat and know where to go.. There are snacks/drinks available for purchase on the boat. There is a small bathroom but go before you get on as I heard it's small. I'm glad we took this trip and would definitely do it again. read more

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I want to say a big thank you to the captain and crew at Salt Marsh Safari, the Skimmer for stopping and getting me out of the water when our jet ski flipped not once twice and I panicked about shark's. It was such a great learning experience, and I will definitely come aboard and go again (but I will walk aboard next time and enjoy). If you are looking for something fun to do in Cape May, try the Salt Marsh Safari, the Skimmer. Very friendly staff and nice boat tour for adults and kids! read more

Terrific, educational tour. Learned about tidal marshes, saw an impressive array of birds (the boat supplies binoculars), and the marine biologist and environmental scientist on board were deeply knowledgeable. They had several live specimens of crab and other marine animals on board for show and tell. Highly recommended. Do wear warm clothes, as it is about 15 degrees cooler than on land and can be windy. read more

Today was a beautiful day for a boat ride on the Skimmer! Our kids enjoyed every moment of the two hour trip without even realizing they were being educated about the important marine life in the salt marshes around Cape May! Captain Travis and his crew never disappoint! read more

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Pleasantly surprised. We got our hands into nature, my daughter ripped a fish for crab bite and threw a crab trap. We got out onto the marsh and explored nature. The hosts were knowledgeable, personable, and funny. Such a cool experience, especially for kids. read more

Truly amazing. This Is so much fun. We did the evening one with the cheese and crackers and stopped at Cape may brewery for for some orange crushin it. Also packed some apple juice and stiff for the kids. They did have chips for the kids for 1$. The tour was great. Hosts were fabulous. Lots to learn and see if you are into science and nature. I personally loved it. They were good with all the kids who were super curious and grabby. Great time!! read more

My family and I had an amazing time exploring the back waters and salt marsh. The team onboard were friendly and very informative on every creature they pulled out of the water. Highly recommend going on a trip with them! read more

Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari - Boat Charters Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

This was a really interesting and fun tour of the salt marsh with lots of hands touching of creatures pulled from the nets. It's ideal for kids and adults who still want to keep learning (me!) Highly recommended! read more

It is the perfect eco-tourism attraction. It is also a very enjoyable boat ride. The three person crew on our tour had all the expert knowledge to provide a truly educational tour of the salt marshes around Cape May and Wildwood islands, and the personalities to make it fun. The owner is a high school biology teacher, and one of the crewmates was a recent college graduate with a degree in marine biology who has lived in Wildwood her whole life. The third crew member was a current college student majoring in eco-tourism. Their combined knowledge and experience meant there were no questions they could not answer, even from my precocious children. Being on a small craft (I believe they said it seats 29) and being so close to the water made for a very personal tour where we learned about all of the creatures, both large and small, that create the unique ecosystem of the region. The two-hour tour was just the right amount of time to see a few different waterways, drop and check a few crab traps, and trawl for the big haul at the end, where they caught all manner of shrimp, crabs, fish, and sea urchins. All the creatures they caught were for study only, and returned to the marsh at the end. It is the ideal activity for children and adults alike. They run a similar tour out of the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, which I went on about 15 years ago, and also enjoyed. I recommend it above all other boat tours in the area. read more

Spent a lovely morning on the Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari. Boat captain and naturalist were full of information and very enthusiastic. Company has done a great job navigating COVID restrictions. Boat was filled at half capacity and everyone wore masks for the duration of the ride. Consider bringing your own binoculars if you have them. Saw bald eagles, Peregrine falcons, Osprey, cormorants, gulls and other small critters scooped from the water. Would recommend this trip as a great way to learn about the marsh AND as a peaceful way to enjoy the water. read more

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We had a terrific trip yesterday. We saw eagles, opsreys, oyster catchers and much more. The highlight was a peregrine falcon hanging out under the toll bridge between Wildwood and Cape May. It posed for quite a long time. The naturalists are great, and wonderful spotters of wildlife. We liked looking at the creatures netted. Wonderful trip and I highly recommend it for people of all ages. read more

Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari - Falcon, one of three we saw. - Boat Charters Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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It started out OK boat is way too small for the number of people they allow on you can't move around easily what's most disturbing is they abuse see animals when they claim to be educating and allow little children to throw these sea animals around in a container and nobody really seems to care do not recommend if you care at all about animal welfare should certainly complain after you see it ironically enough it's supported by the wetlands institute such a Pockrus he read more

If you're looking for something to do with the kids or grands(parents or kids) book a tour with the folks who run the Skimmer tour out of Stone Harbor, NJ. Captain Travis runs an informative, fun and safe tour out of the Wetlands Institute. We went on the sunset tour which offers fruit, cheese and crackers (bring your own wine and/or beer but no hard liquor). We had an internationally known bird expert on board who pointed out the various species and described their habitat. The boat stopped at several places in the back bay where the staff used nets to gather sealife for a temporary "show and tell". The sunset was gorgeous and we plan on going back throughout the seasons. read more

Absolutely amazing excursion!! We saw dolphins and peregrine falcons and dozens of water birds. Loved it!!

The crew were wonderful and knowledgeable. Was a really great morning on the water. Because of covid 19 you need to bring your own binoculars - the crew will help you spot critters with them. The boat can get you really close so even if you don't have them, you will see a lot. If you like nature, take a ride on the Skimmer. read more

We recently took the Salt Marsh Safari cruise with this group and were not disappointed! They sail out of the Wetlands Institute or from Cape May. We departed from the latter location. Our adventure began with Kate, who helped us reserve our tour (we had four in our group). She answered all of our questions and very, very friendly. We opted for a morning cruise due mostly to the heat. It turned out to be a great time to go. The tide was high and the activity on the marsh was booming! Our captain, Bill and naturalist, Chris were extremely knowledgable and personable. The cruise was about 2 hours long and worth every penny (although it's not that expensive!). I learned so much, including how healthy the salt marsh is which is so important for the ecosystem in that area. We saw osprey (adults and fledglings), gulls, ruddy turnstones, oystercatchers, pipers, gulls, whimbrels, dowagers, two different types of herons, egrets and much more! For anyone who really wants to see nature at its best, this is the cruise for you! They also offer mid-day and sunset cruises and are open from May-October, so it'll be a new experience every time! We're looking forward to sailing with this group again! read more

Awesome tour of the marsh, opportunity for wildlife photography with the bonus of receiving an education!

Excellent fun, beautiful, and educational tour. Very qualified tour guides that love sharing what they know. It's different than all the other tours. read more

Had a great time and our two teens didn't regret getting up earlier on a Saturday morning. Saw ospreys, migrating birds, creepy horseshoe crabs from up close, and even a whole bunch of dolphins. We all learned plenty of info and it was great being out after this long pandemic year!!! read more

What a terrific boat tour! The boat is calm, cool and breezy (even on hot days) and the salt marshes house so many interesting birds, turtles, and sea life. Our hosts, Hannah and Travis, were very knowledgeable and engaging - they made the ride fun and educational. I could have stayed on the boat all day! This tour is a must-do - you'll learn a lot, get to see creeks and waterways not typically travelled by tourists and have a really fun, relaxing afternoon. read more

Skimmer operates from two different areas, one in Cape May and the other in Stone Harbor. We took the one from the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor. A two hour nature tour of the marshland in a comfortable covered boat with a head. Binocular usage is included in the price and they had enough for everybody. Two crew members continuously point out different species of wildlife, catch fish, crabs, mollusks and even shrimp to examine. Very interesting and educational and they managed to even keep the children's interest. I highly recommend it. read more

We had great weather on our outing and our captains were smart and funny. Great way to spend a morning.