Amelia River Cruises Employee of the Month

We were happy to recently announce the December Amelia River Cruises Employee of the Month. Some companies honor top salespeople or a customer service star, at Amelia River Cruises, we honor a valuable component to our business, always dressed in red, and really – quite the dancer.

Let us introduce Birdman. Birdman joined Amelia River Cruises during the holidays to keep shorebirds, and “those damn seagulls” away from our boats: Princess Amelia, Bald Eagle, and Miss Kaylynn. Always in motion, chasing away the birds, Birdman works more hours than any other member of the staff and he’s never used a sick day. Birdman never complains about the weather or his constant activity to keep our boats clean and feather-free. Birdman has more than carried his share of the load helping to keep our deckhands on schedule as they ready the boats for our guests.

Many insiders at the company were cautious about Birdman. Could he handle his required tasks? Now, we are celebrating his addition to the crew. Birdman’s appearance is a little different with his bright red body, and black fringe ‘hair” and “hands”. He is aggressive and always pumped up and ready for work. Swaying, wiggling, and grooving with every breeze, this is the best Shorebird Deterrent Specialist in the business, hands down!

Before we had Birdman, our crew and staff were spending half of their day hosing down the seats and swabbing the deck, shooing away Laughing Gulls, Boat-tailed Grackles, Royal Terns, and the Brown Pelican, among others so they don’t… well… decorate the boats. These birds were treating the Princess Amelia as their own personal, backyard outhouse.

Recruited, hired, and nicknamed by Captain Kyle McCarthy, he wanted to put someone, or something, on the boat to deal with flocks of aggressive shorebirds that wouldn’t mind a peck here and there. Given a conscious reminder of Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren, our Namer-in-Chief knew the position required something special! Birdman, as we all call him now, works sunrise to sunset and never takes a break.

Protecting our fleet, Birdman also increases our guest’s experience. Visitors of all ages, smile, wave, and even dance with him. He has become a mini-celebrity at the Fernandina Beach Marina. Staff love him, guests adore him, and birds fear him… as they should! And yes, we are aware there is a Birdman movie but there is no relation to Michael Keaton’s character of the same name. And our Birdman doesn’t brood dramatically on rooftops. He mainly stays on the upper deck of the Princess Amelia and dances.

Amelia River Cruises is Amelia Island’s favorite multi-generational tour. Birdman adds to the welcoming and encourages a family-friendly atmosphere. Guests take his picture and capture video; the kids mimic his moves and even the adults are doing “The Birdman Boogie”. One toddler thought he was a superhero, and a local, newlywed couple said he had the best moves in town! How could we not select Birdman as the Amelia River Cruises Employee of the Month?

Here is a little more about Birdman:

-Birdman’s Favorite Weather: Anything with a breeze; he considers it his personal dance floor.
-Birdman’s Hidden Talent: Can out‑dance 87% of tourists (based on a very scientific captains’ poll).
-Birdman’s Biggest Fear: Someone unplugging him mid‑groove.
-Birdman’s Favorite Music: Anything with a strong beat, he’s particularly fond of yacht rock.

Here are a few Birdman moves for you to try:

-North wind = dramatic hair flips
-South wind = full‑body shimmy
-East wind = jazz‑hands mode
-West wind = the legendary “Birdman Whip”

As we enter a new year, Birdman added his 2026 New Year Resolutions:

-Reduce Shorebird Incidents by 20%.
He’s committed to fewer gull landings, fewer grackle invasions, and absolutely zero birds attempting to “borrow” the upper deck.

-Inspire More Guest Participation.
Birdman wants to see at least 100 more visitors a month attempt the Birdman Boogie this year, with bonus points for synchronized family routines.

-Stay Fully Inflated — Physically and Emotionally.
Self‑care matters, even for a wind dancer. Birdman vows to stay pumped up, stay positive, and avoid unnecessary deflation.

-Learn the Names of All the Boats.
He already knows Princess Amelia, Bald Eagle, Miss Kaylynn, Ye Ole Pirate, and Lucy Ferguson. But he’d like to expand his social circle to include more of the vessels he waves at daily.

-Avoid Being Photobombed by Pelicans.
It keeps happening and it is no accident! They know exactly what they’re doing.

-Become Fernandina Beach’s Official Breeze Ambassador.
He’s already halfway there. All he needs is a sash.

-Keep the Marina Smiling.
Birdman’s biggest goal is simple: keep dancing, keep waving, and keep bringing joy to everyone who strolls down the docks.

When Birdman was presented with the Amelia River Cruises Employee of the Month award, we were reminded of our company’s values: fun, family, community, and a bit of whimsy. Accepting the award for Employee of the Month, he thanked the community, encouraged everyone to keep smiling, and he promised to continue protecting the boats from bird bombs. (Well, if he could talk this is what we think he would have said.)

Come on down to the Fernandina Beach Marina, at the foot of Centre Street and meet the Birdman, take a photo, or book a tour.

“Stay breezy, Amelia!”

Categorised in: Our Staff