Wind through the unspoiled woodlands of Blakeley Park and you’ll come to a landing for the Delta Explorer.

The covered pontoon boat will take you on a two hour eco-tour of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Glide past cypress trees draped with Spanish moss, the water’s edge bordered by green marsh and wheat grasses, and the only sound you may hear is the occasional bird call or the splash of a pelican diving for fish.

Life seems serene here on the surface, but the Delta is full of life. It is home to 400 species of birds which nest here, 40 different kinds of snakes, 20 types of frogs and salamanders and one species of American alligator. There are also 126 species of fresh water fish, 29 species of salt water fish and many types of trees, grasses and shrub. An occasional hunting or fishing camp is nestled in the brush.

Throughout the journey, the captain speaks about the delta, its historical sites and the different species that call it home.

Welcome to the Delta. Bring your binoculars, folks.

“I want to see a little bit of everything,” Karen Leutner said about the 26-mile round trip.

The Summerdale resident has never been on an eco tour.

Mike Turner, who recently moved from Washington, D.C. to Fairhope didn’t let the humidity scare him off, he said.

“Ecotourism is an up and coming thing,” Turner said.

Turner said once his wife moves to Fairhope with him, he will bring her on an ecotour.

“It’s very beautiful and so close to a major city and yet you can get out into a natural environment,” he said.

Park Ranger Jeff Bush, who helped with the tour, had hopes to point out an active osprey nest to the group.

“I am surprised people live in this area and don’t realize what the delta has to offer,” Capt. Bruce Cannnella said. “Most visitors want to see something they have never seen before.”

The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is the second largest U.S. river system — second only to the Mississippi River — with 260,000-acres of wildlife habitat. The state of Alabama has listed it as one of the state’s top 10 natural wonders. Forty-three million gallons of water flow through the Delta.

Gravlee Island is also the monitoring site for the Alabama red belly turtle. At Upper Crab Creek, where there is a transition from fresh water to salt water, and hardwood bottom trees and palmetto bushes give way to cattails and wild rice.

Seven to 12 alligators have been seen on tour dates in the past, but because of recent hunts, the number has been reduced by half, Cannella said.

Various animal pelts or animal shells are passed out to the group for close inspection, such as alligator gar, mink, or skunk pelts.

Bud Richard, a retiree from Cleveland, Ohio, said the tour was very relaxing.

“I saw the brown pelican sitting on the water. I thought it might be the Loch Ness monster,” he said with a smile.

Richard would like to take the tour again next time he is here, he said. John Leichner said not only did he and his wife, Karen, want to do it again, but they would also recommend the tour to others.

“It’s [eco-tour] really lived up to my expectations,” he said.

Many diverse groups charter the Delta Explorer, including civic, church, school, retirees and business groups, Director of Blakeley Park JoAnn Flirt said.

She added that the tour has gained popularity because people are more aware that it is available.

“It comes from an increase in ecotourism and people want to see their own natural world,” Flirt said.