Cape May – Lewes Ferry Launches Live Osprey Cam

CAPE MAY — Cape May – Lewes Ferry (CMLF) officials announced the launch of a live web cam featuring a streaming feed of an active Osprey nest at the vessel docking slips at the Lewes Ferry Terminal. In early April, the pair of Osprey have returned for a third season at this location. In the first two years, the pair produced three and two juveniles respectively. The osprey webcam launch was part of the Cape May – Lewes Ferry’s celebration of Earth Day. This year marks the 46th anniversary of Earth Day and we wanted to share this success story with our customers.
“Earth Day is special to us,” said Francis Faunt, environmental manager for the Cape May – Lewes Ferry. “Like our customers, we’re fascinated by the wonders of the Delaware Bay and we’re excited to welcome home our ‘neighbor.’ We can’t wait to see how many youngsters the pair have this year.”
As part of the celebration of the return of the osprey nesting pair, the Ferry is also launching a series of collector marine life “baseball cards” – the first one will feature the Osprey, including information on the special raptor as well as a link to the cam on the back of the card. The Ferry also developed a new “Wildlife Spotter’s” rack card for passengers to use while they cross the Delaware Bay and has created a dedicated web page at www.cmlf.com/wildlife. Faunt added that Ferry employees care deeply about the ecological health of the Delaware Bay and want customers to learn about the many unique forms of marine life that depend on this great resource.
Wildlife posts on the Ferry’s social media sites typically receive some of the highest levels of engagement and this effort reflects the increasing level of interest in eco-tourism activities in the Delaware Bay region. The Delaware Bay is one of the premier locations nationally for bird watching enthusiasts; home for the New Jersey Audubon’s World Series of Birding; and national headquarters of the American Birding Association.
Silvana Dominioni, superintendent of safety and environmental for the Delaware River and Bay Authority noted that when it comes to the Delaware Bay, the Ferry’s environmental stewardship of this great resource is a year round labor of love. She noted that the ferry service is currently repowering all of its vessels with engines that use less fuel, operate more efficiently with substantially less emissions. In addition, Dominioni indicated that the Ferry has been working for many years with the University of Delaware focusing on water research efforts on the Delaware Bay. Equipped with the SeaKeeper seawater monitoring system, the ferries collect water quality data while transiting the Delaware Bay.
The Ferry is also participating in the program, “Charging-Up Delaware”, designed to promote a network of charging stations to facilitate long-distance trips with electric vehicles in the State of Delaware. Two Level 2 charging stations are now located in the public parking lot near the Lewes passenger terminal building and are available during the Ferry’s business hours.
Since 1970, Earth Day continues to focus public attention on the unique environmental challenges of our time. Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which events, activities and actions take place worldwide that demonstrate support for environmental protection and good stewardship of our planet.
About the Cape May-Lewes Ferry:
The Cape May – Lewes Ferry is owned and operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority, a bi-state governmental agency created by Compact in 1962. The Ferry is open year-round and has carried more than 43 million passengers since its inception on July 1, 1964. In 2015, the ferry service, which connects Victorian Cape May, New Jersey, and historic Lewes, Delaware, transported approximately 275,000 vehicles and nearly 1 million passengers. For schedule, rates and other program information, please visit the ferry’s website at www.CMLF.com, or call toll free, 800-643-3779. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @CMLFerry.