Boat tours aboard Blakeley State Park’s 50-passenger eco-tour boat Delta Explorer have been set to accommodate “snowbirds” wintering in Baldwin County in February and March.

The early spring activity kicks off February 9 with a special three-hour boat tour into the Delta and back down Mobile River past the Alabama State Docks and the marine activity of boat building and repairs. Visitors will see cargo ships in port, workboats pushing barges and maneuvering ships into place and even a tall ship in port.

“We are told by the operators of the tall ship Peacemaker that it will be anchored in Mobile River at the Mobile Convention Center on that date”, said Jo Ann Flirt, park director, in announcing the Delta Explorer schedule. 
”The sight of a tall ship at anchor a few feet away will be like icing on the cake for passengers on this fabulous tour”, she said.

The Delta-Docks Tour begins quietly as the covered pontoon boat glides past wildlife hidden away in remote rivers and bayous of the vast Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. It peaks with up close views of the hustle and bustle of the Port of Mobile and its shipping and marine activity. The tour begins from Blakeley Park’s dock at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $15 for children 6 to 12 and free to children 4-5.

Visitors to the Delta can combine a festive lunch with sights of wildlife Thursday, March 17 on the St. Patrick’s Day boat tour with lunch at the popular Blue Gill Restaurant on the Mobile Bay Causeway. The Delta Explorer departs Blakeley State Park from its dock on the Tensaw River at 10 a.m., cruises in the Delta area arriving at the Blue Gill at 11:30 a.m., embarks at the restaurant dock for an hour for lunch and then returns to Blakeley Park by 1 p.m. The $35 per person ticket price includes lunch.

Two-hour Saturday afternoon cruises of the Delta from Blakeley Park are scheduled for Feb. 26, March 12 and March 26. The guided tours begin at 1:30 p.m. Those ticket prices are $22 for adults, $12 for children age 6-12 and under 6 free.

The Delta Explorer is a 50-passenger, covered pontoon boat owned by Blakeley, licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, captained by a licensed pilot and operated by Blakeley State Park. Blakeley Park is located on Alabama Hwy. 225 about 4.5 miles north of Spanish Fort. Visitors should allow 10 minutes to get from the Park gate down to the dock and boarded.

Seating is limited and is first come-first served. Reservations assuring seating are available using major credit cards by calling the park at 251-626-5581. The Delta Explorer is also available for group charter tours with minimum passenger guarantees. For charters call 251-626-0798.

Photos of scenes on the boat tours and other information about Blakeley Park can be seen at www.blakeleypark.com. Blakeley Park is also open 365 days a year to day visitors. It has both a modern RV campground and a primitive tent campground with restrooms and showers.