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Our Story Begins With ...

Captain Carlton Leonard was born and raised on Chincoteague Island and has been a waterman almost his entire life. He has a passion for his native island and the wild ponies of Chincoteague. He grew up being hands-on with wild ponies beside his father, Donald Leonard. The Leonard and Daisey families have ancestors dating back to the original settlers of the island.

Captain Carlton first owned Island Cruises of Chincoteague Island before becoming owner of Daisey’s Nature Cruises and merging the two companies. Tommy Daisey, creator of Daisey’s Nature Cruises, and Captain Carlton grew up together and were longtime friends. Tommy would not have entrusted the legacy of his tour business to just anyone. Even as they owned separate businesses, they often worked closely together. They still enjoy meeting at the dock and trading tales of their nature cruises.

Now known as Daisey’s Island Cruises, Captain Carlton continues on with his dream of serving the area with year-round boat tour services. With a fleet of luxury boats, he offers the biggest variety of tour experiences in the nearby area. Daisey’s Island Cruises is a family-owned business where everyone feels that extra touch of kind hospitality and small-town charm. Captain Carlton is now widely known for his tour hospitality, wit, and fun nature aboard his cruises. He and all the captains of Daisey’s Island Cruises share keen experience on how to find the wild ponies for viewing. They also share a knowledge of island history and locate a variety of the native wildlife of Chincoteague and Assateague Island.