The Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari

There are no such things as seagulls. 

I just sorta blew your mind, didn’t I?  

There are 42 species of gulls but not one of them is called a “seagull,” because as Captain Ed pointed out, what would you call them if you saw one near the bay?

A bay-gull! 

Badum, ching!

Mixed in with the corny (yet funny) jokes were smart (and remarkable) bits of knowledge offered up by Captains Travis, Ed and Ginny, our tour guides, when Bill, Salem, Finn, Snow and I went out on The Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari. Allow me to explain. 

The Skimmer takes passengers on two-hour trips (Salt Marsh Safaris) around the salt marshes of Cape May and Wildwood Crest. It’s a 40-foot U.S. Coast Guard certified vessel with a twin-hull pontoon design. This means the ride is very stable and smooth, so anyone of any age can go and will more than likely have a wonderful time. There is a viewing platform on the boat that is also very stable. Read – if your child runs out there to see the pickle grass before you can stop them, chances are they will be okay. 

I am a nature lover. That said, I’m not always one with it. Nor am I super knowledgeable about it, a trait I do not want to pass along to my kids. So any time we can have fun and learn is an A Plus. 

Example: A little while back, I had some friends over and they were talking about their pet African Grey parrot, which they’ve had since it was a baby. Perhaps it was my own baby brain (I just had my little girl Snow a few months ago), but I exclaimed, “Birds are smaller when they’re babies?” Looking back, I’m only sort of mortified that I said something so silly. Because really, how often do you see baby birds flying about? But I clearly needed some education STAT. After all, we live in one of the top birding spots in the entire world, and we’re surrounded by water and marsh and forest. Lots of cool things must live in those spots, no? And I should be able to say to my kids as we go down the parkway, “Look, there’s a cool American Oystercatcher” instead of, “Look at that cool bird.” 

And that’s how we came to be on the Skimmer on a gorgeous weekend in spring.  And we got up close and personal with said Oystercatcher. 

When I called the Skimmer, Captain Travis took my call. He was friendly and happy and assured me that (A) it was safe to bring my then two-month-old baby and (B) we’d have fun. And despite the devil on my shoulders whispering, “What about bugs? What if the baby cries the entire time? How will you handle all three kids in an enclosed space for 120 minutes?” Bill and I pressed on, drove across Two Mile Bridge and turned our maroon mini into the parking lot. Travis greeted us in the little wooden hut and we waited for a couple of more passengers to arrive. As we were on the dock, a great snowy egret was hanging out in the marsh – a good sign of things to come. Soon we were headed down the ramp towards the boat and as we got closer, the boys were treated to their second bird sighting of the morning. Captain Ed was feeding a pigeon out of his hand. 

“I’ve never seen that before,” I muttered under my breath. 

“Me neither,” said another passenger as we exchanged looks of disbelief. I knew we were in for a treat. 

And a treat we did get. The Skimmer is a fabulously family-friendly boat tour. 

Soon the pontoon was floating and taking us out on the Intracoastal Waterway, or the back bay in simple terms. Our first stop was the edge of the salt marsh, where Captain Travis spotted starfish. Out he went onto the boat’s outdoor platform (the rest of the Skimmer is covered with large windows for access to the outdoors) with a large scoop. He came back in and dumped his findings in a cooler. 

“We’ll get to that later,” he said. 

And thus began two of the most entertaining, fun hours my brood has had in a while. After being cooped up all winter, this was like a small piece of paradise on a pontoon. 

Though the Salt Marsh Safari was fun for everyone on the boat, it was especially cool for the kids. Captain Travis pulled in another scoop of sea water and placed it in a shallow tub. Then Captain Ginny went through the tub, identifying all the seaweed and sea creatures inside. The kids (and any brave adults) were able to touch everything. When was the last time you popped bubble seaweed? As Captain Ginny started to pop the dark green spidery seaweed, memories of my childhood flooded back, and I remembered doing the same thing with my friends at the beach. This still brings a smile to my face days later, when I think of lost memories found. After the bubble seaweed, we found little fish, shrimp, and even a stick shrimp, which Ginny said bear a striking resemblance to those sticklike aliens in Men in Black. Turns out she’s right.

The kids were learning while they were having a blast, which is the best kind. We were learning too and yes, I popped bubble seaweed, touched starfish and so on. 

Most of the adults were there for the birding. And these were serious birders, with gigantic cameras. The Skimmer’s large windows slide open enough for even a gigantic camera to fit through. As we spotted birds in the air, on the sea and on the marsh, the captains and several naturalists who were on our trip told us what we were seeing and gave some fascinating facts. 

Did you know that at some points during the year, the number of laughing gulls outnumbers the humans in Cape May County? 

You’re both intrigued and a little scared now, aren’t you?

“Gulls are one of the populations of birds that actually benefitted from man and are expanding,” said Captain Ed.

Laughing gulls also put on their breeding plumage in mid-May. They actually change their appearance to attract other gulls in order to make babies, according to Captain Ginny. That was one of at least fifty things I learned on our trip.

The Skimmer is a boat tour I’d go on every weekend if I were able. The team led by Travis was nice, informative and funny. I’m a sucker for silly humor.

Salem and Finn loved the tour, too. They got to touch cool crabs and seaweed and see pretty birds on their own turf. The boat was stable, with just enough rocking from the wake of the other boats, that Snow, in her baby carrier, was relaxed the entire time.

The Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari takes birding and the knowledge of the salt marsh and its importance to our ecological system to a whole new level. And that level is awesome.

Set out on your own Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari. Give them a call at 609-884-3100, or visit skimmer.com for rates, schedules and more information.