Chincoteague Island, Day Two

We started the day with a two hour boat cruise around Chincoteague and Assateague islands. Our tour guide was very informative and entertaining. Since we went on the earliest tour they have (nine o'clock on Sunday morning!) it was only the Man and I and a young family of four. They were celebrating the older daughter's birthday. It was nice to have such a small group.

We passed this sweet little house as we headed through the channel. 

It is for sale. 

It used to sit on an island but the water broke through the center of the island and cut off the house from the rest of it. There's no power and no water. Just the house and a small spit of an island. All this can be yours for $450,000.

I have never seen so many dolphins. They were all over the place. It was kind of ridiculous how many we were seeing. The captain kept giving us disclaimers, "If you ever come back, you won't see this many again! This is really unusual!" They were all around the boat. There were a couple that were within feet of us and one or two went under the boat. We watched them chase fish for a while. The fish moved FAST to get away from the dolphins.

While we were all laughing at the playful dolphins, the captain was looking for eagles. And he found some. They were just hanging out on an osprey nest, looking like they owned the place.

They took off as soon as we got too close but I was able to get a couple good shots of them.

And again, the captain issued disclaimers, "This is so unlikely to see dolphins AND eagles - within fifteen minutes of leaving the dock. Don't expect this next time!"

I was starting to get the idea that not every tour group gets to see the things we were seeing. Hmmm.

After watching the eagles for a bit, the captain said it was time to go search for four legged animals.

Okay.
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You can see another tour boat watching the wild ponies too.

Such beautiful animals.

The captain told us the ponies get bloated from all the water they ingest while eating the grass.

 I could have sat there all day watching these lovelies.

We spotted momma pony eating and watched her for a long time. The captain was convinced that she had a foal around somewhere since she was off by herself. He remembered that she had been separated from the northern herd and brought to the southern herd when she got pregnant.

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The Chincoteague fire department manages the ponies on Assateague Island on the Virginia side. On the Maryland side it's the National Park Service. The captain said they tend to have a more hands-off style of management.

The fire department sells the foals that are born every year. The auction is a big deal from what it sounds like. They swim ALL the ponies and foals across the channel, auction off the foals, and then return the adults back across the channel. The momma above had not had her foal by the time of the auction so the foal remains with her, although they will be separated eventually. Momma will go back to the northern herd.

Took a walk along the marina when we returned from the tour. These were some bold seagulls. They did not want to move. At all. They squawked the entire time we walked along the dock.

The captain had told us to head to the fire department fair grounds to see the foals that they kept. They'll be added to the herds to keep them healthy and growing.

As we were watching the foals, a car load of women pulled up and told us to head back over to Assateague Island. There were ponies very near to the road.

Off we went.

And, yes indeed, they were so close. You can see the barbed wire fencing that keeps them off the road. The captain had told us that a couple of Maryland horses had been killed because they aren't fenced in and can roam anywhere and these roamed onto the roads.

Poor ponies.

 I loved these two. They were so affectionate with one another.

 Simply beautiful.

After watching these ponies for quite a while. the Man and I returned to the inn and packed up a picnic dinner. We drove out to the beach and ate while watching the waves.

Lovely dinner on the beach. I couldn't ask for a better location.

The end to a spectacular day. After dinner, we drove out to Mariner's Memorial and watched a stunning sunset. Once the sun was finally gone, it was time for ice cream.

At Island Creamery.

According to the captain this place was voted best ice cream in the COUNTRY. That must be some mighty fine ice cream. And it was. The man had coffee ice cream - strong and sweet. I had two scoops - whiskey brittle and bourbon caramel crunch.

Boozy ice cream.

This is my kind of town.