The owner of several Cape May-area fishing and whale watching brands has brought them under one umbrella, Cape Sea Excursions, the new company announced this week.
Cape Sea Excursions will combine entities formerly known as the Starlight Fleet, Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center, Dark Star Pirate Cruises and Cape Star Bay Fishing and Eco Tours.
Jim Cicchitti, the master captain and fisherman, and his wife, Tracie Cicchitti, started in the excursion business in 1976. They founded the Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center, located at Utsch’s Marina, in 1987.
“We bring our boats and experience to every guest experience,” Jim Cicchitti said in a prepared statement. “Whether it’s first-time anglers on the Cape Star in the back bays, or kids looking for a real-life pirate adventure, or those in search of our wonderful marine life, or even a sunset dinner cruise, we love watching our guests turn off their cell phones and experience this beauty. It never gets old for us.”
The company now runs excursions on vessels including the 101-foot Starlight, the 100-foot Atlantic Star and American Star, the 50-foot Dark Star and Cape Star and the 32-foot Southern Star.
“We are the forerunners in exploring our Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay for whales, dolphins and birds, with an emphasis on their interconnectedness to our ecosystem and underscoring the importance of conservation,” Tracie Cicchitti said in a statement.
