Winter is the peak season for eagle viewing at Land Between the Lakes, where more than 100 bald eagles and some golden eagles can be seen residing and hunting for fish. On Sounds Good, Austin Carter speaks with naturalist Monica Main about the series of van tours and river yacht cruises through Land Between the Lakes to see these birds in the wild.
Land Between the Lakes typically sees close to 50 eagles throughout the year, but this population doubles when the snow birds come down from Canada, Minnesota and North Dakota. In the three to three and a half hour van tours, you'll usually see more than five eagles at each spot.
Each tour teaches how to spot a bald eagle and the difference between them and a golden eagle. The tours run most weekends through mid February. Van tours are $10 per person, visitors will ride a 12-passenger van and stop at several viewing hotspots around Land Between the Lakes.
Eagle river cruises put passengers on the 96-foot luxury yacht the CQ Princess for a guided experience in an indoor heated cabin with catered lunch. Tickets are $60 per person and there are a few spots left. Contact Kelly Bennett at 27-924-2020 for ticket information on either tour.
Bald eagles are thriving in the United States and are no longer on the endangered species list, though are still protected by other state and federal laws. Main says Land Between the Lakes has noticed a major change in population density over the past 30 to 40 years, due to human intervention and habitat change.
