By Sarah Fertsch
“Good morning folks, this is your captain speaking. Today we are headed out to find some dolphins.”
Families smiled as they heard the message over the intercom. A little boy stood against the railing, pointing at the waves. The Dolphin Cruise was leaving the dock at Gardner’s Basin and headed for an unforgettable voyage around Absecon Island. Sunlight glimmered on the peaks of the waves, making the water sparkle. The boat rocked back and forth gently as Captain Jeff George narrated the journey.
“Today, we are looking for dolphins. We have seen them around Margate for the past few days, so we will head toward Lucy the Elephant to catch a sight of some fins.”
The audience applauded with excitement. Then, sure enough, in about an hour, they would take pictures of a large pod of dolphins. Some even saw baby dolphins, connected to their mother by an umbilical cord.
This is the 23rd season of chartering cruises for Atlantic City Cruises. They offer a morning skyline cruise, an afternoon dolphin watching cruise, a 4 pm sightseeing tour, and happy hour in the evenings.
“I love being on the water,” said Captain Jeff George, owner and president of AC Cruises. “I’ve loved it since I was a kid. It’s my high.”
“It was the best time of my life,” said Kelly, a passenger on the Dolphin Cruise. “My kids love being on the water, and my husband and I enjoyed delicious drinks. We would definitely come back for more.”
Life as the captain of a bay cruise is pretty awesome, according to Jeff. He loves “giving a great first impression” to guests, and making sure they have a great time on the waters. On the dolphin cruise, he almost always finds dolphins, but on the rare days when the dolphins are hard to find, AC Cruises offers free tickets to ensure that guests see dolphins at some point in the summer.
The cruise has caught sight of more than just dolphins. In the springtime, when the waters are cooler, Captain Jeff shared that he finds seals, whales, sea turtles, and sharks. Sunfish are also close by, often found by the surface, bathing in the warm sun.
“We do a lot of private party events, like bachelorette parties or corporate events,” said Jeff. “Our boat seats around one hundred people, so later this season, AC Cruises is excited to announce a tiki boat addition to our fleet.”
The tiki boat will seat about 24 people. Guests are invited to provide their own food and drinks, with the company also recommending the best places to pick up your supplies for this unique experience. This is not your average party boat. The vessel is a US Coast Guard licensed vessel with a licensed boat captain that will transport guests on a two-hour tour between Atlantic City and Brigantine. If you want to party for longer than two hours, they will also have the option of renting the vessel for longer.
“I love Atlantic City,” said Captain Jeff. “I love its energy and its people. We get a lot of visitors, but the city’s soul is found in the locals. I am proud of AC Cruises because we are a great addition to the city.”
