ST MICHAELS, MD – On Thursday, June 20, 2019 from 10–11:30am, children and adults are invited to join Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum educators aboard buyboat Winnie Estelle for an up-close and personal exploration of the Miles River and its unique habitat and ecology. The cruise will be offered again on Tuesday, July 16, from 1–2:30pm, and Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 10–11:30am.
During the ecology cruise, participants will learn how to monitor the water quality of the river, perform water testing, and explore the critters on an oyster reef, all while cruising in the breeze on CBMM’s buyboat. Birders will enjoy the route, which features a route near Long Point Island, known for its eagle and osprey populations and heron rookery.
Built in 1920 by Noah T. Evans—a native Smith Islander—Winnie Estelle was used as a workboat on the lower Chesapeake for more than 50 years, carrying seafood and produce to market across the Bay. In the 1970s, she made Belize her port of call, where she operated as an island trader, carrying lumber from Honduras to Belize, and later as a charter boat for divers. She returned to the Chesapeake in 2012.
Cruises aboard Winnie Estelle are also offered to watch Miles River log canoe races on June 29 and 30, July 27 and 28, and Sept. 7, 14, and 15. For details, visit cbmm.org/onthewater.
Boarding passes for the CBMM’s ecology cruises are $20, with a 20% discount for CBMM members and registration required to cbmm.org/onthewater. For more on Winnie Estelle or CBMM, visit cbmm.org.
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~Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum