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Discover one of the best ways to see wildlife... from the water!
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The fertile Skagit Valley is one of North America's great wintering bird migration areas and the Viking Star is the perfect venue to see these wonderful birds in a comfortable, non-obtrusive, personal way.
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Wintering Birds of the Skagit
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One of North America's great wintering bird migration areas is the fertile Skagit Valley. Viking Cruises offers the perfect way to see these wonderful birds in a comfortable, upfront and personal setting.
From breeding areas in the Arctic and Northern British Columbia, literally millions of birds return to the Skagit Valley and Skagit River estuary each winter. The rich farmlands provide these birds with a natural feeding ground supplemented by many of the area farmer through the "Barley for Birds" program.
There are potentially several hundred species of birds that can be viewed during the winter months of November through March. Skagit farmlands feature the magnificent Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans as well as many raptors including Red-tailed and Rough-legged hawks, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, and Osprey. The Skagit River estuary, Skagit Bay, and Padilla Bay feature many varieties of waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds, and raptors. You're practically assured of viewing Western and Red-Necked Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Black Oystercatchers, Common Loons, Common and Red-Breasted Mergansers, Surf Scoters, Pigeon Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet, Double-Crested and Pelagic Cormorants, Common and Barrow's Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Black Turnstone, Dunlin, as well as several varieties of Gulls. Additionally, it is very common to see Harbor Seals, River Otters, and Harbor Porpoise during our longer cruises.
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The Viking*Star is a perfect platform for viewing this incredible variety of birds, especially in the winter when the weather can be less than desirable. The Viking*Star is 58 feet in length, certified to carry 49 passengers, fully enclosed and heated vessel with thirty-one large, glass windows for viewing in any weather. It also has a very large, passenger-welcome wheelhouse where up to a dozen folks can join the skipper at any one time, not to mention the spacious foredeck for outside viewing! The Viking*Star is very maneuverable allowing access to many difficult areas that larger vessels cannot get to with a skipper who is very conscientious and takes pride in assuring minimal disturbance to any birds of wildlife.
Onboard, relax with a cup of our special locally roasted, organic, shade-grown coffee. Also, hot tea, cocoa, and ice water are always available.
We can always add different lunch options including box lunch, clam chowder and salad, or a full catered sit down meal for an additional cost.
Please call for information and/or scheduling.
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NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT VIKING CRUISES...
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MAIN EXCURSIONS...
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One hour Swinomish Channel Cruise. Enjoy a leisurely morning cruise from LaConner out through Hole-in-the-Wall, past Goat Island in the Swinomish Channel, then into Skagit Bay. $12.50 per person.
(please call ahead for availability and reservations)
Includes guided tours around Skagit Wildlife Range, Fir Island, Padilla Bay Interpretive Center. See Trumpeter Swans, Snow Geese, and Raptors on land, then take the 3 hour boat tour. $50 to $65 per person.
A.) 2 hour - Swinomish Channel, Skagit Bay, Hope Island
 Cruise the Swinomish Channel into Skagit Bay through Hole-in-the Wall, Goat Island, Seal Rocks, Hope Island. Great cruise for limited time! $22.50 p/p.
B.) 3 hour - Above plus Deception Pass Nature tour – All the above plus travel into the incredible Deception Pass! $32.50 p/p.
4 hour - Padilla Bay, Saddlebag Islands Cruise the North end of the Swinomish Channel into Padilla Bay. View the birds, seals, and otters on the mudflats and sandbars of the channel plus cruise through the Saddlebag group of islands. See Brandt’s geese feeding in the eelgrass, Oldsquaw (Long-tailed ducks), Great Blue Heron rookery and shorebirds associated with the Padilla Bay Nature Reserve. $37.50 p/p.
4 hour - Deception Pass, Burrows Bay, Williamson Rocks, Rosario Straight cruise – Weather permitting, we will cruise through Deception Pass into Burrows Bay and visit Williamson Rocks Nature Reserve where we may see Sea Lions, Harlequin Ducks, Harbor Porpoise, Rhinoceros Auklet. $37.50 p/p. Please Note: For groups desiring to visit Bird Rocks or Smith Island, weather on Rosario Straight is always a concern during the winter months but if possible, we would travel to those islands in this same 4 hour cruise.
5 hour - Deception Pass, Smith Island (weather permitting). $47.50 p/p.
7 hour - 3 hour Skagit Bay plus 3 hour Padilla Bay with 1 hour shore stop in between. Experience both ends of the Swinomish Channel during this 7 hour tour. $55.00 p/p.
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Reception |
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Guest Naturalist
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Multiple Unique Habitats
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More Information...
*15 Passenger Minimum Required
Note: above pricing does not include tax or fuel surcharge. A box lunch can be pre-ordered for $10.95 + tax per person. Coffee and hot water for tea always available free of charge.
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