We have done the 6-8pm birding boat tour twice now (each time we've visited Cape May in the past few years) and have loved it each time. Both times we did the 6-8pm slot. Our kids were 3.5 the first time and then 5.5 and almost 2 years old the second time. They both loved it. The naturalist was so sweet with them and showed them different sea creatures from the tank before the tour even started. And then during the tour she showed and taught them about various wildlife artifacts. When our 2 year old started to get a little restless at the end, she had sea life coloring books and crayons for him to use. She and Captain Bob are clearly both so knowledgeable about the birds, habitats and the rest of the wildlife around. Would definitely recommend this tour and will definitely be doing it again when come back next time! read more

We went on this tour on 09/15/2025. Do not let the rain stop you. I would actually recommend as a rainy day activity as birds are waterproof. The Captain and guide are very knowledgeable. We found this helpful and refreshing. This is also a good value all around. This was our first stop on our eight day stay in Cape May. Sad to be leaving tomorrow. read more

Birding By Boat on the Osprey - Beautiful birds.... Beautiful views of those salt marshes you see from the bridges and highways and have always wondered about - Tours Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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Captain Bob and Naturalist Vince provided a top notch birding experience. We saw Great Cormorant, Red Knot, American Oystercatcher, Brant, & Nelson's Sparrow just to highlight a few. The boat was stocked with $1 snacks and activities for our toddler. I didn't know we were going to Jarvis Sound but it appears we did after looking at our eBird tracker. If you enjoy birding, book this trip! read more

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We had a fantastic experience during our tour this morning. Even our teenagers loved it! We're not really bird watchers, but we wanted to do a boat tour that wasn't dolphin watching or fishing. This was the perfect option. Captain Bob was incredibly informative and was able to take us to several interesting spots. He fielded all of our novice questions as well as questions from a seasoned bird watcher on our tour. The whole ride was scenic and enjoyable. It was a windy day, but the ride was really smooth. We were able to walk around the boat and spent nearly the entire time on the deck out front. There were binoculars available to borrow if you didn't bring your own. There's a tiny bathroom on board although we didn't check it out. We booked online the night before. There's easy parking right next to the dock. Although our kids are 15+ now, I could see this being good for kids much younger, as well. What a great way to cultivate their interest in nature. Enjoy! read more

What a fun time! Bob was an excellent boat captain and so knowledgeable about birds and local wildlife. Birds we saw in the 2+ hour trip included oyster catchers, several varieties of tern, clapper rail, egrets, herons, osprey, skimmers, fluffy baby seagulls at a nesting site, a spectacular female bald eagle up super close, and many more. Highly recommended! read more

Super fun experience. The guide was passionate and informative, and we saw a good variety of birds and a few newborns!

We took this birding cruise on Monday 9.19.22 10am. The Captain and guide were very knowledgeable and engaging with the watchers onboard. It has been months so I might be getting their names wrong. I believe it was Captain Bob and the bird expert was Mark (last name italian I believe). Please forgive me if that is incorrect. Anyhooo....great trip. I am not an expert birder but really enjoyed the experience. It was worth the price of admission simply to spend some time on the water in the sunshine and seeing a perched bald eagle right at the start of the trip. There were opportunities to view many types from all spots on the boat. Mark and Bob were very good at spotting interesting birds we may all want to get a look at even without their binoculars. I would definitely do this trip again in the future. read more

we had a great adventure with Captain Bob! It was windy but Bob navigated so well it was a pleasant ride! We saw lots of birds. Bob makes sure that everyone gets to see a bird and is patient with all levels of birding skills. We love his stories of experiences with wildlife. This is our third trip on the Osprey and the experience gets better each time! Thanks so much t Captain Bob and the naturalist who shared so much about this ecosystem with us! Liz and Lin Hammonton,NJ read more

I have been sailing with Capt. Bob Lubberman on the Osprey out of Miss Chris Marina in Cape May NJ since 2011. Every trip is different. Every trip is wonderful. The boat is comfortable and most times the waters are calm so it is a relaxing trip. You will see plenty of birds and you never know when something rare may pop up. Sunset cruises can be particular beautiful. Capt. Bob and any naturalists on board will be sure to educate you on the birds you see and afford you the best, safe vantage point for vieiwing. You will not be disappointed if you include a sail on the Osprey as part of your visit to Cape May. read more

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2021 makes the 11th season that I've sailed with Capt. Bob Lubberman on the Osprey. I highly recommend the birding cruise. It's never the same trip twice. It's comfortable on the boat, interesting and informative as Capt. Bob and the naturalists on board have a wealth of knowledge about the birds. The scenery is gorgeous especially if you catch a beautiful sunset on the evening cruise. I never tire of taking a cruise on the Osprey. It's great for all ages. It's also a wonderful opportunity for photographers to work that shutter button. read more

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We wanted to do something involving our love for birdwatching on our trip in Cape May. I found this tour and booked it. It was so much fun. Our guide, Robert (Bob), really knew his stuff. He knew where all the different types of birds were and made sure we got up close to them on the pontoon boat. We saw bald eagles, Osprey, egrets, black skimmers, and others. We went to the low tide marsh area and it was gorgeous. The whole experience was amazing. I highly recommend for families with kids or if you are even a bird-loving couple like us. read more

Birding By Boat on the Osprey - Tours Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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I really recommend this tour for seasoned and novice birders alike! We were running a few minutes late and Bob called us to check and wait for us which was amazing. The tour was AWESOME. He took us to some awesome spots- and the ride was fun in general. I got some great photos with my personal camera- and there are plenty loaner binoculars. HIGHLY RECOMMEND, we'll be back next trip to the shore. read more

Birding By Boat on the Osprey - Egret from tour - Tours Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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Exceptional tour yesterday! We even had a baby rescue by the captain and naturalist of a newborn oyster catcher. The Mother and Father could not get the baby up from a ridge of the salt marsh and had the rescue not been completed the baby would die in the high tide. Mostly the crew were friendly to al, explaining the birds , viewing with us.. What a great great experience..We will return.. read more

Went on the Bird Watching Expedition yesterday, and had a great time on the boat find all the native birds in Cape May. Staff was very informative and fun keeping you engaged on what you were seeing while on the boat. Free Binoculars to look at the birds are included, as well as different items found in the sea to look at on the boat. I would recommend anyone who wants to see the river between Cape May and NJ as well as look at the native birds in this area to take this cruise! read more

This was the perfect bird lovers gift. The tour was reasonably priced. It was a two hour "safari" tour of the birds in the wetlands of Cape May and Wildwood. You could order tickets online or opt to buy them in person before the tour. Parking was easy and free. The boat was shaded and had windows that could be opened. There was an open deck in the front that could accommodate up to 6 people. The captain and naturalist were very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw plenty of ospreys and their babies. We were able to witness breakfast for the family. We saw a variety of birds from dozens of oystercatchers, to a bald eagle. The tour came with binoculars that you could borrow. The green flys were bothersome at some points so I would suggest wearing thick long pants as well as layers. There was a port-a-potty towards in the back of the boat if that's needed. Overall it was a great experience and got to learn a lot about the local birds! read more

Birding By Boat on the Osprey - Osprey nest outside of Wildwood - Tours Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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We went on the Cape May Bird Observatory/New Jersey Audubon-sponsored "Back Bay Birding by Boat from Cape May," a three-hour tour. The Osprey was well-equipped with loaner binoculars, a birding scope, checklists, maps, bird photo postcards, a restroom, cushioned benches, and cold drinks ($1). Windows open and close to protect you from the elements, but Sunday was beautiful and crisp, so I spent a lot of the tour outside on the front deck. The ride was mostly smooth and quiet, which made it easy to take photos, and birds tended not to get too spooked. Our naturalist (Dave Lord) and the boat captain (Bob?) were ridiculously good spotters, I was amazed at the birds they could see (and identify) from great distances. Dave spotted an American bittern hiding among the reeds, though it was so well-camouflaged it took me (a non-birder) a good five minutes to find it even after it was pointed out to me. Same thing with plovers, which to me just blended into the rocks, but Dave spotted them right away. When we found a particularly interesting bird, the boat would maneuver closely for photo ops and sometimes even set up a scope. Dave would make sure everyone got a chance to see the bird before we took off again. Other highlights of our trip included several beautiful tri-colored herons, a ton of adorable oyster catchers, a belted kingfisher, several types of terns, a trio (maybe a family?) of bald eagles (one with fish in its claws), and an American golden plover. Our particular tour, on a holiday weekend, was rather crowded. The boat's outside front deck is by far the best place to take photos, but only six people are allowed to stand out there at once. So sometimes you might not be at the prime spot when you want to be. Other than that, this was a perfect tour. read more

Birding By Boat on the Osprey - Bald eagle - Tours Near Me - Cape May, New Jersey

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This is always a great few hours off the beaten path. Whether he has a naturalist on board or not, Chris never fails to find wildlife of all kinds. Every ride website been on included dozens of different bird species as well as fish and the occasional mammals. He also does a great job explaining the ecosystem and answering questions from simple to complex. The boat is comfy, clean and the ride calm. Go. read more

Captain Bob is an incredible naturalist who freely shares his enthusiasm and knowledge. His trip on the Osprey was the highlight of our Cape May vacation. I plan to go again next visit to Cape May. Every season brings different birds and experiences read more

We have enjoyed Birding by Boat on the Osprey for the last several years. We plan it into every visit to Cape May. Capt. Bob is very knowledgeable about the local birds and every excursion is adventure. I highly recommend it! read more

This tour was so good that I'm writing this review ten minutes after finishing it. Incredible views of wildlife including many cool species of birds and some surprise dolphins. It's a beautiful way to spend a few hours in the area and I will definitely be going back. Not to mention the tour guide was friendly, very informative, and altogether a very cool guy. read more

I had the pleasure of being on this trip 2 times. Very knowledgeable staff. Great tour for the photographer, nature enthusiast, and fun for the entire family. read more

Best part of my visit to Cape May! The guides were very knowledgeable and were able to easily share some 2 dozen species with us. Extreme close ups of the nesting Osprey, able to watch the eating and feeding of this beautiful bird. Not to mention the amazing sunset on the return to the marina. Its a must do when you are in Cape May, NJ! read more

Such a cool birding venture! My partners surprised me with a birding by boat excursion and I was thrilled. We saw loads of great birds, including a Clapper Rail with chicks, my first Marbled Godwit, and an immature Common Eider (rare for July). Couldn't beat the views of the young Ospreys in the nest either. Can't recommend enough and I hope to come back soon! read more

Bob was an excellent tour guide. He brought us to all the best places to view wildlife in Cape May. He was extremely knowledgeable and knew ever type of animal that we saw. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for something different to do at the Cape. We booked the 6pm tour and came back in time to enjoy a wonderful dinner that evening. read more

This was the highlight of our trip in Cape May. Our guides were fantastic and spotted so many birds! We saw more birds than we expected! Some of the birds that we saw were ospreys, egrets, herons, gulls, laughing gull babies, willets, and terns. There were several more birds that we saw but I must admit that we are not birding experts. I highly recommend this trip! read more

Very knowledgeable naturalist and captain on board the osprey. The name of the boat was fitting since we saw plenty of these magnificent birds. The wetlands were where the most birds for your buck. I added 10 species of birds to my life list. I highly recommend the osprey birding tour to be added to the list of things to do while in Cape May. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our experience on the osprey. The captain was knowledgeable and got us up close to everything out there. I would strongly recommend the osprey for a great birding/boating experience. Drew and Christina read more

This is the best birding tour by boat to go on!! The captain and the bird naturalist (not sure his exact title) are so knowledgeable and really committed to making sure everyone see as many birds as possible!! If you are planning a trip to Cape May this is a must do! read more

This trip was wonderful! I actually would do it again! the captain and the guides are so so knowledgeable. I will never understand how they spot birds that are so far away with their naked eye! Amazing. You can truly tell the staff loves what they do! We also had a guide from the Cape May bird observatory along. I really learned so much from everyone and saw so much! Such a cool experience! Everyone was so nice and accommodating! Would highly recommend this to anyone. read more

This was a great trip! Never saw so many Ospreys and so many other birds as well! Captain and Naturalist really made the trip, beautiful area and a side of Cape May we've never seen! Thanks! read more