Mark on the Shore

Saltwater Pony Tours, Chincoteague, VA

Mark’s Score 9.8

For my second tour review I chose Saltwater Pony Tours because it received a perfect 5 score from nearly 1,400 reviews on Tripadvisor. That is a remarkable record, so I had to experience it for myself. I also got lucky in choosing the perfect weather. It was overcast, the temperature was 85F (29C), and there was a light wind to chase away the bugs.

Saltwater Pony Tours was established by local native Captain Henry Snyder. His purpose in creating Saltwater was to introduce visitors to the natural beauty of Chincoteague, to give tourists an opportunity to safely and respectfully observe wildlife in a natural habitat, and to learn about the island’s history and ecology. Saltwater tours are organized into small-groups, using small capacity low draft boats, with knowledgeable guides, providing an intimate educational experience.

One of the reasons I have avoided reviewing tours is that the older I get, the less tolerant I am of large crowds. So, when I pulled into the parking lot and saw multiple large tour boats in the marina I began to wonder if I had made a mistake. Though it was the height of the summer season, the marina was strangely quiet. There are no signs directing you to Saltwater, but there was a small group of people at the entrance of the peer. I walked over and it was indeed the Saltwater tour group. There were only five people in the group one of which was our tour guide, Jacob. I was the last to arrive, so we were immediately ready to go. Jacob, lead us down the pier to a small boat with only ten plush, comfortable seats. As I was alone, he placed me in the seat next to the captain.

We boarded the boat and Jacob immediately set sail for Assateague Island. The trip took about half an hour to reach the southern pony herd situated by the lighthouse. On the way out, Jacob gave us a lecture about the island and the ponies. There are two herds, the larger one on the north side of Assateague and a smaller one on the south side. The southern herd has about 140 individuals. The ponies form into small family groups centered on a single stallion. The two Virginia herds are managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer fire department and are culled each year during the pony swim (last Wednesday in July).

Though we didn’t see any dolphins, we did see, and got very close to three different family clusters of the ponies, which Jacob impressively knew by name. The clusters are named after the stallion. The cruise through Assateague Chanel was delightfully relaxing. We had excellent views of Chincoteague, we sailed by a number of duck blinds, and a few operating “club houses” in the bay, which are no longer allowed.

The entire tour took about two hours, and there is nothing more relaxing than a beautiful summer’s day on a boat in the bay, I thoroughly enjoyed my tour and Saltwater Pony Tours richly deserves its perfect score.