Wild Pony and Shellfish Tours with Cowboy Cruise Co. in Chincoteague

Chincoteague, Virginia, sits on an island renowned for its wild Chincoteague ponies and expansive marshlands that splash into the Atlantic. The Cowboy Cruise Company specializes in intimate boat tours that carve through the shallow channels and saltwater banks, offering privileged views of the island’s signature inhabitants and its coastal ecology. Operating on well-crafted, nimble vessels, these tours deliver close encounters with the wild pony herds, especially during their vibrant spring foaling season, where new life emerges amid quiet tidal flats.

Among their signature offerings are the Early Bird Spring Foal Tour, a sunrise experience timed to catch the earliest moments of foal activity, and the Private Scenic Sunset Tour, perfectly timed for the softening light to silhouette ponies against a sky streaked with pinks and oranges. The Guaranteed Pony Tour ensures sightings regardless of conditions, a testament to the guides’ deep local knowledge and skillful navigation through the island’s complex waterways.

Beyond horses, the company also offers Shellfish Tours that spotlight the rich marine life thriving in the island’s estuaries, highlighting oysters, clams, and other shellfish that support local traditions and the ecosystem.

Cowboy Cruise’s guides, many with lifelong ties to the island, weave history and natural facts with genuine care. They reveal how the island’s pony herds are managed, the ecology of the marshes, and how this isolated community thrives off the land and water. Smaller group sizes mean fewer disturbances to wildlife and a more personalized experience.

For visitors seeking a deep dive into the untamed heart of Chincoteague’s coastal wilderness, Cowboy Cruise Company stands out as a local steward and storyteller, bridging nature, tradition, and adventure on every tour.