Merlin Tuttle Day 2024: Private Sunset Bat Watching Cruise with Batman!
Schedule
Mon Aug 26 2024 at 06:30 pm to 09:30 pm
Location
Capital Cruises | Austin, TX
About this Event
Join us on August 26, 2024 to celebrate Merlin Tuttle Day and Merlin's 83rd birthday in Austin, Texas!
Thanks to Merlin's life-long and continued dedication, Austin has become a world leader in demonstrating that bats make invaluable and safe neighbors and the bats are now a staple of Austin's culture. Austin Mayor Steve Adler officially proclaimed Merlin's birthday, August 26th, as Merlin Tuttle Day in honor of Merlin's success in saving the city’s now world-famous bats. Let's celebrate!
We celebrate on Monday, August 26th to kick off the Merlin Tuttle Day week, and hope you will use the fun stories and photos to extend the celebration afterwards!
There is limited capacity to join Merlin aboard the Capital Cruises Pride & Joy II double-decker boat for food, drinks, story-telling and bat-watching. Merlin will tell stories and personally answer your bat questions.
Each in-person ticket grants:
- Admission to the private cruise on MONDAY, AUGUST 26th
- Food and drinks (Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic provided. BYO is also welcome.)
- One (1) entry into the raffle prize pool. Additional raffle entries may be purchased in advance and in person.
MTBC MEMBERS will automatically receive an additional two (2) raffle tickets! Join MTBC in advance here: https://www.merlintuttle.org/become-a-member/
Masks recommended on the lower deck and optional on the upper, open-air deck.
Whether you've seen them a hundred times or never before, these bats are spectacular! However, they are wild animals and their behavior is weather-dependent. There's always a chance for a less-than-perfect viewing experience, but we will enjoy spending time together no matter what!
All ticket sales and donations support bat conservation directly through 501c3 non-profit organization, Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation.
Thank you for being a friend of bats - let's celebrate!
The flagship of Capital Cruises’ fleet, the Pride and Joy II, pictured below, is a 75-foot 2012 Destination Yacht imbued with the versatility afforded you by the double-decked experience. The upper deck has a capacity of more than enough space for all guests to dance and mingle with the dynamic skyline of Austin contrasted against the calm and quiet waters of Lady Bird Lake as your backdrop. There is air conditioning on the lower, enclosed deck. Its two restrooms are fully functional and air-conditioned.
Bats are Austin's favorite neighbors - thanks to Merlin!
Learn more about Merlin's ongoing work at MerlinTuttle.org
Learn more about Austin's bats at AustinBats.Org
ABOUT MERLIN TUTTLE
Dr. Merlin Tuttle is a resident of Austin, Texas. He is an internationally recognized leader in research, conservation and photography of bats. His photos and research have been featured in five National Geographic articles, the journal Science, and many other leading publications. He founded and led Bat Conservation International for nearly 30 years, left BCI, then founded Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation (MTBC) in 2014. Since founding MTBC, he has continued his worldwide efforts from Brunei, Bulgaria, and Cambodia, to Taiwan, and Thailand, and from Brazil, Chile, and the Vatican, to South Africa.
Through MTBC, Dr. Tuttle continues to provide the world's finest bat photo gallery and the most up-to-date responses to grossly exaggerated disease speculation about bats. This is also the only place to access his more than 60 years of unique expertise or support his work. At age 81, he is still passionately teaching the world to understand and appreciate the vital roles of bats.
His first book, America’s Neighborhood Bats, published in 1988, played a key role putting unfounded fear in perspective and in outlawing the then widespread poisoning of American bats living in buildings. His 2022 publication, The Bat House Guide, is the most comprehensive bat house book yet, designed locally by Pentagram. His inspiring autobiography, The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals, was published in 2018, with top reviews, including from The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and National Geographic. And in 2019, he served as science editor and sole photographer for the Smithsonian book, BATS: An illustrated guide to all species. He also serves as a Research Fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin and still takes approximately a thousand new photos annually.
Through Tuttle’s personal efforts, many of our planet’s most important bat colonies are now protected, including the world famous colony of approximately 1.5 million Brazilian free-tailed bats in Austin, Texas. Like bats or not, you will after learning what Dr. Tuttle has to share about these mysterious but magical animals. To learn more and support his work visit MerlinTuttle.org.
Where is it happening?
Capital Cruises, 208 Barton Springs Road, Austin, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 100.00