ELLISON BAY ECO TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Tagging Monarchs on Death’s Door: A Hands-On Citizen‑Science Cruise to Plum Island
A guided 4-hour cruise from Shoreline Resort across Death’s Door to a wildlife refuge where participants net, tag, and release monarch butterflies while contributing real scientific data.
Tagging Monarchs on Death’s Door: A Hands-On Citizen‑Science Cruise to Plum Island.
Embark on a focused, 4-hour field excursion from Ellison Bay across the notorious strait known as Death’s Door to Plum Island, where the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands lead visitors through natural-history interpretation and supervised, hands-on work that supports monarch migration research.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Become a Citizen Scientist
Under supervision you’ll net, tag and record monarch butterflies, collecting data that contributes to monitoring programs tracking migration and population trends.
Learn Monarch Migration and Conservation
Guides teach engaging facts about monarch biology and the role this region plays in their lifecycle, pairing interpretation with fieldwork to deepen understanding of conservation needs.
A Short Cruise to a Protected Refuge
The outing crosses Death’s Door for a brief landing and island walk with a docent, combining a half-hour boat passage with time ashore to observe habitat and butterflies up close.
What the day feels like
What the Day Feels Like
The program is a compact, interpretive field day: meet at the Shoreline dock, cross the channel on a roughly 30-minute cruise to Plum Island, disembark for a docent-led tour, then participate—under supervision—in netting, tagging and releasing monarchs before reboarding for the return trip to Gills Rock.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this program suits and who should consider other options.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The guided program is a 4-hour cruise and workshop that includes a roughly 30-minute boat passage each way and time ashore for the docent-led tour and tagging activities.
The operator provides supervised handling for netting and tagging; no specific gear list is provided in the materials supplied here—confirm with the operator for recommended clothing or sun protection.
Guests meet at the Shoreline Resort at the dock in front of The Shoreline Restaurant for boarding.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the Butterfly Cruise / Workshop?
The experience lasts approximately 4 hours.
Where do I meet for the cruise?
Meet at Shoreline Resort at the dock in front of The Shoreline Restaurant at your boarding time.
What will I do on Plum Island?
You will tour the island with a docent and, under supervision, net, tag, record and release monarch butterflies as part of scientific monitoring.
Who runs the Butterfly Cruise / Workshop?
The program is operated by Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands.
Is this suitable for children or older visitors?
The program is described as for all ages, making it broadly suitable; supervision is provided for hands-on activities.
Where does the return trip land?
After the island portion, participants reboard for the trip back to Gills Rock.