Spring Pelagic Tour

Embark on a pelagic birding expedition, where we travel by boat offshore to observe seabirds that seldom venture ashore except for breeding. Seabird species encountered during these pelagic journeys can include boobies, tropical terns, shearwaters, jaegers, gannets, and more. Join us for an fun all-day charter off the shores of Miami, led by experienced guides David Simpson and Beto Matheus.

Event Details:
Duration: 8-hour charter
Limited Availability: Priority registration for up to 40 individuals who are current members of Audubon Everglades and South Florida Audubon. No children under the age of seven, please.

Fee: $135 exclusively for members until March 4, 2024, then open to the public with a price increase to $160.

Fee includes boat trip, gratuity for boat crew and guides, snacks, beverages, and entertainment. Remarkable value compared to other pelagic trips!

Cancellation Policy: Full refunds available for cancellations before 5/15; non-refundable thereafter. Exceptions for emergencies or cancellations by charter-boat operators due to weather and/or sea conditions.

Time: Boarding starts at 8:15 am; departure at 8:30 am sharp; return to the dock around 16:30 pm. Punctuality is crucial, as the boat won't wait, and there is no refund for missed departures.

Vessel: Departure from Bill Bird Marina in Haulover Park on The Mucho K, a 65ft. fishing vessel with an open lower deck and a partial upper lookout on the bridge. The Kelly Fishing Charter Company is our host with Captan Jamie at the helm. it has comfortable seating, clean restrooms, and USCG approval for 48 passengers. Limited to 40 participants for an optimal seabirding experience.

Route: Journey through Haulover Inlet to the west wall of the Gulf Stream to spot tropicbirds, terns, shearwaters, jaegers, gannets, storm-petrels, scoters, alcids, and more. Possible stops for wildlife sightings along the way.

Weather: Captain's decision to cancel in case of rough conditions. Announcement may be made up to 30 minutes before boarding. If canceled, rescheduled date is June 2, 2024, automatic registration for the alternate trip. Contact Paula or David if unable to attend the backup date.

Ebird: An ebird list will be created for the trip. If someone has registered you and you'd like to be part of the shared ebird list, kindly provide your email address to [email protected].

For inquiries or assistance, please contact:
Paula Gatrell: [email protected]
David Lagan: [email protected]

Wishing you an enjoyable time and good luck in spotting those magnificent Pelagics!

Meet our Field Guides and Spotters:

David Simpson has lived a lifetime working and playing in the wilds of Florida. Working full time for the Florida Park Service for several years, running two Florida Big Years and countless Big Days, and extensive county listing, as well as several environmental consulting jobs have led to an extensive knowledge of Florida’s amazing biodiversity. These days, he continues to work on environmental consulting jobs as well as speaking, leading trips at festivals, and conducting private guided tours where he will share this knowledge with anyone who will listen.

Luis "Beto" Matheus has always been interested in nature and wildlife. Even as a kid growing up in Venezuela, he always kept a copy of "A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela" by Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee and William H. Phelps (1978), the first bird field guide for any Latin American country, within reach. Yet he only became a "serious birder" around 2006 when he joined his father on a birding trip with Venezuela's Audubon Conservation Society to Yacambú National Park, at the northernmost edge of the eastern Andes. After seeing a male Golden-winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus) take off in front of him in the cloud forest, he went home, bought a pair of binoculars and was hopelessly hooked.he turned into a fully-fledged bird nerd. Beto has been actively birding ever since, often with his birding parents, serving as a voluntary eBird reviewer for Venezuela since 2008 and joining several Audubon chapters as he moves around for work. A civil engineer working in renewable energy development, Beto has lived in Mexico (Mexico City and Pachuca), Colorado (Boulder) and, now Florida (Boca Raton) with his wife and two teenage kids.

Directions:

Address: Bill Bird Marina, 10800 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33154

For those traveling from Palm Beach area, please allow ample time for driving, it is a highly congested area. It is approximately 1.5 hours from the West Palm Beach area. The GPS location can take you to a blocked entrance. If traveling from the North, continue South about 1/2 mile and look for the Haulover Marina sign.

As you enter the parking lot, head to the line of boats and turn to the LEFT.

There is ample free parking.

The Kelly Fishing Charter Company is a blue building. There are restrooms located at the end of the parking lot in a beige building. There are also heads on the boat.

Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/25.9066347,-80.1241048/10800+Collins+Ave,+Miami+Beach,+FL+33154/@25.9043623,-80.1254628,16.5z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x88d9ad14d95bee87:0xbe9999372c54999b!2m2!1d-80.1244298!2d25.9065884?entry=ttu

WHAT TO BRING

Kindly pack your own lunch, as there won't be any food available for purchase on the boat. We'll supply snacks and drinks. If you have specific dietary requirements or allergies, we recommend bringing your own provisions.

It is usually breezy on the water. Dress a little warmer or wear layers. It is better to be layered with clothes that you can remove than to be cold and not have a jacket or sweatshirt to ease a chill. It can also get wet.

Wear close-toed shoes with a good rubber deck-gripping sole to prevent slipping or sliding as the boat deck is normally wet.

Bring sunscreen or a large hat as you will be on the water for eight hours.

This boat will venture 10 miles out to sea, we recommend that you take appropriate measures if you're prone to seasickness.
If prone to seasickness, look into over the counter medications, and choose the nondrowsy varieties ( Bonine). The main prevention is to get lots of rest the night before! Also avoid alcohol and spicy food prior to trip. Eat something bland for breakfast (i.e. toast) so your stomach is not totally empty; keeping something in your stomach goes a long way to minimizing the effects of seasickness. Consider ginger products. We will provide Ginger Ale, water, ginger candy, and also pretzels on board.

WHAT NOT TO BRING
Aerial drones
Pets
Spotting Scopes
Tripods
Weapons

Host or Publisher Audubon Everglades