About Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge
The Blue Moon will leave the Chattanooga riverfront and operate in the refuge from Dec 21, 2009 up to February 28th, 2010.
Hiwassee
Island, located in the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge at the confluence of the
Hiwassee and Tennessee Rivers, is the premier wintering observation site
in the southeast for the magnificent Sandhill Crane. In North America
the Sandhill Crane is second in height only to the Whooping Crane. Both
crane species are stately in appearance and graceful in flight.
The Sandhill Cranes have been using the area as a stop over on their migration for thousands of years. Their bones have been found in the trash heaps on Hiwassee Island and other area Native American Villages pre-dating the Cherokee. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency plants food such as corn, millet, buckwheat and winter wheat for the cranes and wintering waterfowl. This year they had to reduce to half the production of these grains due to budget cuts. However, the cranes are still in the area in the usual numbers.
Along with the 10,000 plus Sandhill Cranes we usually have a few Whooping Cranes in the area. The refuge was a stop-over location for Operation Migration until this season. Operation Migration is taking a more westerly route with this year's young Whoopers because of the difficulty the birds and ultra lights were having crossing the Cumberland Plateau. The Whooping Crane population has been on the decline for years and is one of the most endangered cranes in the world. Operation Migration and The International Crane Foundation have been key in restoring the migrating population of Whooping Cranes in the Eastern United States. We can only hope the Whooping Cranes will continue to use the Refuge on their migration route.
The
Blue Moon's Eco-Cruise is an exceptional way to view not only the cranes
but Bald Eagles as well. The refuge is the wintering home of more than
20 adult and juvenile Bald Eagles. It has the earliest known nesting Bald
Eagles in the state. The eagles will begin incubation in early December
and have been returning to the same nest for over 10 years. Eaglesl add
to their nest each season so we can only guess at the weight and actual
size of the nest. An educated estimate would be well over one ton and
5-6 feet in diameter. There are two other active Bald Eagle nests in the
area.
The cruise is not just about the cranes and eagles. The Refuge has over 100 species of resident and migrating birds along with rich Native American and early history of the area. Our cruise in the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge is the only way to view the refuge from the water. Click here for a list of other birds you may see on our trip.
A Chattanooga River cruise on board the Blue Moon is the best
way to view the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. We look forward to
having you on board with Blue Moon Cruises.
>>Click here for pricing and trip details.
Call toll free 1-888-993-BLUE (2583) ) or Reserve Online Now
Other Adventures in the area:
Ocoee Whitewater Rafting
