TOUR TALK
BLOGS, INTERVIEWS, TOURS, NATURE, STORIES AND CURRENT INFO
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THIS PLACE WILL ABSOLUTELY MESMERIZE YOUR SENSES with a tropical seduction all its own. Whether escaping the common or diving deeper into the intriguing, you can binge without television the engaging world of freshwater and saltwater channels of the intracoastal waterway!! There are so many treats for the senses and exhilaration being on the Intracoastal Waterway, that words cannot fully describe what you will experience there, time and again. From still nature to moving nature, they visually complement each other. The mighty stillness of nature’s sturdy splendor is firmly planted while moving animals put on an intriguing show, even holding a still pose for a closer look at them. They must know we’re looking. Dolphins show awareness of boats with subtle behaviors such as swimming curiously near boats, pausing their activity, and even following boats as a coordinated, multi-dolphin activity!! Small fish make a splash and even when they go unseen, they remain all the hype for the rest of nature looking to feed on them. From dolphins to alligators, the river fish attract attention. Especially noticeable are the patient, yet very active hunters, the birds. Smaller birds sing as they dance around for bugs, and the larger birds camp as if they own the place, from branch to marsh, from air to water. This is a playground for the senses, and you will learn everyday you are there. A zoom in to this paradise can quickly spot the common and yet mysterious Great Blue Heron. They approach, move about in suspenseful ways, luring us to see what their next move is going to be. In the air they soar so beautifully. Great Blue Herons are large, yet only weigh 5 to 6 pounds adding to their agility. In addition to their other abilities, they hunt day and night as the many rod-type photoreceptors inside of their eyes improve their night vision. These strategically active, and fun to watch birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Pelicans on the move can make coastal and intracoastal waters come to life like a jungle. Their feeding determination never goes out of style. They decorate the beaches and make spotting them at subtropical rivers and islands a fun surprise. Like palm trees, pelicans let you know what climate you are in. How many different exotic birds can you identify in one day? Wild as a safari, and daunting as a swamp, the marsh waters offer nonstop excitement. Knowledge and wise decision making keep boaters and adventurers safe. Safety first makes for a good invitation back to these splendid waters. Each channel has its route to different islands, sounds and still water shallows that can dry up often. A place that certainly calls for an experienced and qualified captain to explore. How else can you truly hike such places but on a capable boat vessel. Ahoy marsh waters and all aboard!! Bring your friends and family on to these paradise waters with a boat tour that every person should enjoy!! The Intracoastal Waterway of Savannah Georgia and near by estuaries offer you the invitation. Book your adventure and see these exquisite wonders for yourself!!
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The Savannah River runs through many different types of places, ecosystems and climates, from the Appalachian Mountain waters of Chattooga River and Tugaloo River, through Hartwell Lake and so many more beautiful places north to south all the way to the marshy lowlands of intracoastal Savannah. You'll be entranced by the marshy entrance! This important marsh buffers coastal erosion with its oak tree covered hammocks and mighty Spartina cordgrass islands. These plant-filled waters abound with crab, shrimp and fish. This is where many marshy rivers connect and islands sit, within a wild, exotic subtropical paradise of wetlands. Savannah, Georgia marsh is where many species and rare animals can be seen active. If you're looking for endless fun and intrigue, you can come take a riverboat tour here and see such eye-catching creatures as dolphins, manatees, oysters, blue crabs, ghost crabs, horseshoe crabs, fiddler crabs and shrimp that share these marsh river areas with many other species and rarely seen birds nearby. Exotic birds such as bald eagles, green herons, great blue herons, wood storks, 3 types of egrets, osprey, black skimmers, least terns, brown pelicans, pine warblers, western sandpipers, laughing gulls, sanderlings, grey or black-bellied plovers, wood ducks and American oyster catchers are only some of the vast varieties found here in the Georgia intracoastal. You can smell the ocean’s saltwater coast in the breeze, mixed with the strong mood setting scent of marsh plants. This lets you know you are in a rare and mighty place of isolated, one-of-a-kind nature. These jungle- like lowlands have as much endless depth as high mountain ranges have splendor. This place has an inviting beauty that will keep you coming back for more. Savannah Georgia’s exotic subtropic world connects intracoastal river channels north to south, and zigzags through the marsh and islands. Even on a digital map, it looks like a wild maze of endless adventure. Yes, you can actually tour these places with a certified licensed captain. Super exciting!! This marvelous maze continues running south as the Savannah River leads into the Wilmington River and the South Channel and the Bull River. The Wilmington River and Bull River branch out in many adventurous directions through the marsh showing endless moments of nature’s splendor and ever evolving shifts in the marsh land complex. It’s a flowing connection of rivers, channels, sounds, and estuaries separated by islands. These estuary waters experience saltwater and freshwater. This flowing map of channels head south from Wassaw Sound, Ossabaw Sound, St Catherine's Sound, Sapelo Sound, Doboy Sound, Altamaha Sound, St Simons Sound, St Andrew’s Sound and Cumberland Sound. Reading a list of the many islands here while looking at the map will help you get familiar with these in between river locations and simplify identifying the many places that connect to each other. It’s a fun way to learn. Here nature causes ever evolving passage shifts that affect local animals, scenery and local navigation strategy. To know the most current river shift outcomes within these many channels is to stay safe and aware, while enjoying these rare marsh waters. Well-equipped and very experience captains take great care and responsibility ensuring passenger safety in such rare, wild and exotic places as the Intracoastal marsh rivers. Touring such places takes ever evolving knowledge, technologies and landscape maintenance. We can support government endeavors such as dredging, by raising our voice on such issues. Can we not be thankful for these efforts by our local authorities and boat captains, allowing us to mix boat recreation with the mighty nature of the southeast coast marsh terrains. This is an ever-learning experience. So read more and book a river tour on Savannah Georgia’s many magnificent waters. You’ll thank yourself you did!! -ISLE OF HOPE CRUISES (PLEASE READ ON, THIS GETS GOOD!)
The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a toll-free waterway stretching from Massachusetts to Texas. Originally proposed in the early 1800s the ICW was not appropriated by Congress until 1919. Its routes were referred to in the once used ‘Inside Book,’ a special chart for motorboats. In the 1930’s the government received and used money for recovery and infrastructure which have a great initial support to this waterway. The larger updated waterway charts show a magenta line, (only sometimes seen on smaller intersecting charts) a rough estimate of where the waterway naturally flows along with the dredged channels meaning river channels cleared of obstructive material. This obviously useful waterway has since gotten longer and deeper overtime and has been gradually improving since the early half of the 20th century. It preserves rare, precious nature and history. Despite great economic value for barge companies that transport goods, for businesses, consumers and industries, local recreation and tourism activities, the government has lowered funds and made it a lower priority. This waterway is certainly an asset to not only upkeep, but to grow in use as well. Why not enhance such a magnificent resource? It’s certainly time to use logistics, innovation, and long-term funding to maintain, study and further advance this needed resource. SEE THE ICW VALUE If a person were to simply boat tour this waterway, let’s say in Savannah, Georgia, for example, one will quickly see a rare beauty of nature, that instills constant awe and amazement to the beholder. This is a place full of adventure and enjoyment. The many sounds of the rare birds and smiling dolphins affirm. Its irreplaceable in beauty and host vast natural species our ecosystem rely on, which emphatically means us humans as well. Spanning 3000 miles, from New Jersey to Texas (some would argue Maine to Texas), the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) host passage of numerous commercial and leisure vessels. It is an integral part of what is known to seasoned boaters as the Great Loop. With all this said, this giant ‘Ditch’ needs upkeep, as it is constantly shifting and reshaping navigation paths naturally. Part of the issue is Shoaling, a natural water depth shallowing of river routes, that shift wave formation and stop use of these once chartered routes taken by vessels along channels of the ICW. The Intracoastal Waterway maintenance falls behind every year due to low funding. This waterway needs consistent dredging and repairs to keep it usable and safe. The natural occurring route changes and the waterway’s charted magenta line on charts are not matching up when used by boaters. (Experienced waterway users are encouraged to upload any local knowledge and input of magenta line route changes found to the ActiveCaptain App, including hazards info to the local coast guard and authorities.) Boaters simply experience condition shifts that these nautical charts can’t keep up with. With these natural, ever-changing conditions, we can only put continued effort to keep pace and evolve with these river shifts, through regular, well-funded upkeep, via increased dredging, repairing and real time nautical charting to stay ahead of the river’s curve. (Pun intended.) What has been done so far?! THANK GOODNESS FOR THE COAST GUARD’S ATTENTION Due to constant changes in the waterway’s depth and Shoaling, vessels grounding, and newly spotted safety hazards, making nautical charts less accurate in real time, the coast guard has posted ‘Danger: Shoaling’ signs and removed permanent channel markers and put up temporary buoys to mark how the channel currently flows. This attentive route changing has undoubtedly brought about needed awareness by boaters. Federal dredging formulas don’t measure up to the economic value the Intracoastal waterway brings, from the ever growing ‘recreational boater’ demands. This while the government receives a fuel tax for commercial use of the waterway. Certainly, it’s a great waterway for all. With different waves of opinion from federal, state and local, then all meeting at the same water level on this economic ‘human vs nature’ issue, is more urgent than ever. NOW WHAT? With such an obvious challenge and complicated solution, let’s all make a big splash into the Intracoastal Waterway latest logistic action plan, and see it through! We can start by asking more questions to those qualified to answer and by constantly highlighting the ICW’s true value. This will give a voice to this gorgeous and rare waterway of nature, and a one-of-a-kind leisure and recreational destination. -ISLE OF HOPE CRUISES (PLEASE READ ON, THIS GETS GOOD!)
The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a toll-free waterway authorized by Congress in 1919 its routes were referred to in the once used ‘Inside Book,’ a special chart for motor boats. In the 1930’s the government received and used money for recovery and infrastructure which have a great initial support to this waterway. The larger updated waterway charts show a magenta line, (only sometimes seen on smaller intersecting charts) a rough estimate of where the waterway naturally flows along with the dredged channels meaning river channels cleared of obstructive material. This obviously useful waterway has since gotten longer and deeper overtime, and has been gradually improving since the early half of the 20th century. It preserves rare, precious nature and history. Despite great economic value for barge companies that transport goods, for businesses, consumers and industries, local recreation and tourism activities, the government has lowered funds and made it a lower priority. This waterway is certainly an asset to not only upkeep, but to grow in use as well. Why not enhance such a magnificent resource? It’s certainly time to use logistics, innovation, and long term funding to maintain, study and further advance this needed resource. SEE THE ICW VALUE If a person were to simply boat tour this waterway, let’s say in Savannah, Georgia, for example, one will quickly see a rare beauty of nature, that instills constant awe and amazement to the beholder. This is a place full of adventure and enjoyment. The many sounds of the rare birds and smiling dolphins affirm. Its irreplaceable in beauty and host vast natural species our ecosystem rely on, which emphatically means us humans as well. Spanning 3000 miles, from New Jersey to Texas, the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) host passage of vast commercial and leisure vessels. With all this said, this giant ‘Ditch’ needs upkeep, as it is constantly shifting and reshaping navigation paths naturally. The reason for this, in part, is Shoaling, a natural water depth shallowing of river routes, that shift wave formation and stop use of these once chartered routes taken by boat vessels, along channels of the ICW. The Intracoastal Waterway maintenance falls behind every year due to low funding. This waterway needs consistent dredging and repairs to keep it usable and safe. The natural occurring route changes and the waterway’s charted magenta line are not matching up when used by boaters. (Experienced waterway users are encouraged to upload any local knowledge and input of magenta line route changes found to the ActiveCaptain App, including hazards info to the local coast guard and authorities.) Boaters simply experience condition shifts that these nautical charts can’t keep up with. With this natural, ever changing juggle, we can only put continued effort to keep pace and evolve with these river shifts, through regular, well funded upkeep, via increased dredging, repairing and realtime nautical charting to stay ahead of the river’s curve. (Pun intended.) What has been done so far?! THANK GOODNESS FOR THE COAST GUARD’S ATTENTION Due to constant changes in the waterway’s depth and Shoaling, vessels grounding, and newly spotted safety hazards, making nautical charts less accurate in real time, the coast guard has posted ‘Danger: Shoaling’ signs and removed permanent channel markers and put up temporary buoys to mark how the channel currently flows. This attentive route changing has undoubtedly brought about needed safety to boaters. Federal dredging formulas don’t measure up to the economic value the Intracoastal waterway brings, from the ever growing ‘recreational boater’ demands. This while the government receives a fuel tax for commercial use of the waterway. Certainly it’s a great waterway for all. With different waves of opinion from federal, state and local, then all meeting at the same water level on this economic ‘human vs nature’ issue, is more urgent than ever. NOW WHAT? With such an obvious challenge and obvious solution, let’s all make a big splash into the Intracoastal Waterway latest logistic action plan, and see it through! We can start by asking more questions to those qualified to answer and by constantly highlighting the ICW’s true value. This will give a voice to this gorgeous and rare waterway of nature, commerce and one of a kind leisure recreation. -ISLE OF HOPE CRUISES |
