Getting on the Water: Georgia Queen Riverboat Cruises & Tybee Island Dolphin Tours

Savannah was born from the water, bounded on the north by the deep shipping channel of the Savannah River and surrounded on the east and south by a 20-mile labyrinth of tidal creeks, barrier islands and salt marshes teeming with wild Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. Here are the two classic ways to get out on the water.

1. Downtown on River Street: Savannah Riverboat Cruises (Georgia Queen & River Queen)

Moored right in the centre of River Street behind the gold dome of City Hall (9 E River St) are two multi-deck red-and-white sternwheel paddleboats: the 600-passenger Savannah River Queen and the 1,000-passenger Georgia Queen, the largest riverboat of its kind in America:

• The 90-Minute Narrated Harbour Sightseeing Cruise: if you want the classic paddlewheel experience without booking a full evening buffet dinner, reserve the midday 90-minute Narrated Harbour Cruise (check the official Savannah Riverboat site for current departure schedules and fares). Climb to the open-air fourth-deck rooftop patio with an iced tea or cocktail as the captain narrates the history of the port, passing giant ocean container ships at eye level before turning around opposite the cannon walls of 1808 Old Fort Jackson, where costumed interpreters often fire a black-powder cannon salute toward the riverboat.
• Sunset, Gospel Dinner & Sunday Brunch Cruises: feature live bands and Southern buffets as the River Street lights come on at dusk. For a complimentary 10-minute boat ride across the river, simply board the Savannah Belles Ferry at the adjacent dock.

2. Wildlife Boat Trips: Lazaretto Creek Dolphin Tours at Tybee Island

Just before you cross the final bridge onto Tybee Island on US-80 (at Lazaretto Creek Marina, 20 minutes east of downtown Savannah), local family fleets (Captain Derek's and Captain Mike's Dolphin Tours) operate 90-minute Dolphin and Lighthouse Sunset Cruises (check operator websites for seasonal sailing times and ticket rates). The boats cruise out past commercial shrimp trawlers, Cockspur Island Lighthouse (a miniature 1855 brick lighthouse sitting on an oyster shoal in the middle of the channel) and Fort Pulaski, where pods of wild Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins surf and leap in the boat's wake just metres from the railing.