Port Townsend Marine Science Center Thanksgiving Weekend Cruise

Port Townsend, WA, November 26, 2016—The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is inviting participants to cruise with us to Protection Island aboard one of Puget Sound Express’ heated, fully enclosed whale-watching boats with 360-degree windows, wrap-around observation decks, and a cozy interior. The sail will take place on Saturday, November 26^th from 1-4 pm, leaving from the dock at the end of Water Street in Port Townsend and setting off on a 3-hour adventure.

Photo credit to Mike Reudink (elephant seals on the seashore)

Port Townsend Marine Science Center Naturalist, Roger Risley, will be onboard to assist in wildlife spotting and interpretation, accompanied by informative Port Townsend Marine Science Center hosts.

A staple of the science center’s seasonal offerings, the Thanksgiving weekend cruise is wildly popular among tourists and locals alike. Participants enjoy a leisurely tour of the wildlife sanctuary and the enlightening comments from the onboard naturalist. In addition to experiencing and learning about the local marine life, participants have also gotten to witness a variety of birds while taking the cruise including loon, grebe, cormorant, merganser, duck, scoter, phalarope, tern, and puffin, just to name a few.                            

PTMSC Executive Director Janine Boire is confident this year will be no different. 

“We have been partnering with Puget Sound Express for this special holiday birding adventure around Protection Island for years,” Boire said. “It’s such a unique, special way to connect people with the Salish Sea and celebrate the holiday seasons. The Thanksgiving weekend cruise, in the midst of the busy holiday season, makes it particularly popular for those with family or friends visiting looking for a festive and warm way to get out on the water.”

The Thanksgiving weekend cruise departs at 1 pm on November 26 from the dock opposite the Puget Sound Express offices at the east end of Water Street in Port Townsend and returns to the dock at 4 pm. Tickets for the Protection Island Thanksgiving weekend Cruise are $80 per person or $60 for members of PTMSC, Audubon, Burke Museum, or Washington Ornithological Society.

For more information on the Thanksgiving Weekend Cruise, or to reserve your spot, visit http://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/whale-watching-and-wildlife-tours/bird-migration-cruise/ or call (360) 385-5288.