About Us

The owner, Captain Henry Snyder, grew up in the town of Accomac in Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, which includes Chincoteague Island and the Virginia portion of Assateague Island.

“I’ve been going to Chincoteague and Assateague Island since I was in diapers. My mom would pile my brothers and me into the station wagon and head to the beach. I remember the old wooden bridge that connected Chincoteague to Assateague Island, and I remember eating at the restaurant on Assateague. If we were lucky, mom would stop for soft-serve ice cream on Chincoteague.

As a teenager, I spent a summer working on Assateague Island with the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), where we were tasked with things like monitoring bird nests and cutting back brush.

As a father, I continued the tradition, bringing my own children to Chincoteague and Assateague Island to watch the annual Pony Swim. We lived just off Metompkin Bay on Parkers Creek and would run the boat up to watch. Some of my favorite memories are watching the swim aboard the Hogg Island, owned by Captain Barry Fisher. The Hogg Island was an old oyster monitor that had been converted into a houseboat. We would tie up alongside her, enjoy a huge breakfast, and have the best view of the swim imaginable.

Today, I live on Chincoteague Island and enjoy a semi-retired life as the captain and owner of Saltwater Pony Tours, where I have the pleasure of sharing this beautiful area and helping create new memories with new friends.”