Custom Pontoon Raft to Begin Photographing Patuxent River to Create Virtual Tour

ANNAPOLIS (Sept. 21, 2017)—Chesapeake Conservancy today announced its latest Riverview virtual tour will allow users to explore the Patuxent River using a computer, smart phone, or tablet. The tour will show the river from the perspective of a kayaker and provides access to a number of conveniences including geographic locations, historical information, and recreational amenities.

The Conservancy will once again partner with Richmond-based Terrain360 to obtain high-resolution, 360-degree images using a custom designed pontoon boat with six cameras mounted 10 feet above the water's surface. Images will be taken every 40 feet and later stitched together to create a digital image map of each river, accessible by anyone with an Internet connection.

The virtual tour will be available to the public on the Chesapeake Conservancy's web site at www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/riverview.

"The Chesapeake Conservancy believes that connecting people to the Chesapeake Bay and its great rivers is critical to protecting and restoring the health of the watershed. Our hope is that these virtual tours encourage people to go out and experience the real thing," Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn said. "The Patuxent River is a diverse and beautiful river with many different types of places and things to see. Jug Bay Wetland Sanctuary provides protected waters for less experienced paddlers, while Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary provides a unique scenic view. Through our virtual tours, users can plan their next trip and see some amazing sites just 25 miles east of Washington, D.C. on the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail."

The Conservancy's 10 Riverview virtual tours completed thus far include rivers such as the Elk, Patapsco, Northeast, Nanticoke, Potomac, Rappahannock, Sassafras, Susquehanna, York, and James (courtesy of the James River Association).