March Madness Means Its Time to Get Batty Enjoy "Bat Watching Cruises" in Austin, Texas

When you combine Capital Cruises eco-sensitive, all electric boat fleet with the scenic beauty of Austins Town Lake, spectacular hill country sunsets and the emergence of the Congress Avenue bats you get one of the most viewed wildlife spectacles in North America.

Austin, TX March 10, 2004 -- March Madness means basketball to most people, but not down in Austin, Texas. In Austin it means the bats are back in town and Capital Cruises is ready to show them off. When you combine Capital Cruises eco-sensitive, all electric boat fleet with the scenic beauty of Austins Town Lake, spectacular hill country sunsets and the emergence of the Congress Avenue bats you get one of the most viewed wildlife spectacles in North America. Capital Cruises provides the best seat in the house as 1.5 million Mexican free tail bats emerge for the nocturnal feeding frenzy during which theyll consume upwards of 30,000 pounds of insects and mosquitoes each night.

From March though October the internationally famous bat tours depart nightly approximately 30 minutes before sunset from the Hyatt Hotel Boat Dock on Town Lake. After you nestle into a comfortable seat on one of the environmentally friendly electric boats youll get a quick tour of Town Lake and all of its beautiful flora and fauna. Youll also take in the ever-changing downtown skyline and then sit back and be wowed for 20 minutes as the bats begin the nightly journey. Youll be positioned a mere 10 to 20 yards east of the bridge for what is really a great way to see this amazing spectacle.

If you really want to party with the bats there are several other cruise options to choose from including the famous Honeymoon Bat Watching Dinner Cruise (as previously featured in Newsweek) on a private boat for two. Several dinner packages are available including the Hyatts famous fajitas, grilled chicken pasta or seafood pasta. You can also bring up to 130 of your closest friends for a cocktail cruise, group dinner cruise or simply a relaxing private eco-tour of Town Lake on the newly christened Pride & Joy, the largest electric powered paddle wheel boat in the country.

The best time to view the bats is from March through May and from July through October. The Congress Avenue colony is primarily a nursery colony and June is typically the time they give birth to their pups. The bats have fast become a staple for visitors of Austin and have inspired unique sculptures and even a professional ice hockey team. The bats also provide a significant ecological benefit as they are the main pollinator of many plants including agave from which we get tequila.

Capital Cruises is located on Town Lake at the Hyatt Hotel. In addition to the bat-related cruises and tours they also provide lunch and dinner cruises, an excellent meeting and reception venue and rent canoes, kayaks, pedal boats and electric boats. The electric boat fleet is the largest in the largest in the country.

What: Congress Avenue Bats
When: March - October
Where: Capital Cruises Nightly Bat Watching Trip
Photo-ops: Emergence of 1.5 million Mexican Free-tail bats
Media Interviews: Mark Ledyard, 512-415-3932

For more information please contact
Mark Ledyard
Capital Cruises
Phone: 512-512-415-3932
Fax: 512-990-5523
Email: e-mail protected from spam bots
Web Site: www.capitalcruises.com