Southern Patriot Offers Special Purple Martin Cruises

Residents and visitors can enjoy special boat tours of Lake Murray complete with a view of the migrating Purple Martin birds and live music. 

The Southern Patriot boat is offering lake-goers a special cruise on Aug. 17 and 31. The two-hour cruise takes patrons to Bomb Island, where hundreds of thousands of Purple Martins circle and roost this time of year. 

Purple Martins are people-friendly birds that are very vocal, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. They migrate to South America for the winter but usually return the the same colony sites during the summer. 

The birds have been roosting on Bomb Island since the 1980s, according to The Purple Martin Conservation Association.

Apart from a view of the Purple Martins, the cruises also feature hors d'oeuvres and music from South Carolina's Wayne Capps. 

Tickets for the cruise are $40 per person. The tour lasts from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, .

The Southern Patriot also offers Purple Martin tours every Sunday and Monday in August. For more information, visit the website.