Bats in Austin!

It’s no secret to how awesome Austin is, but there is one aspect that people tend to forget that is right over their heads in the night sky, we’re talking bats! Austin is home to the world’s largest urban bat colony that houses about 1.7 million Mexican Free Tail Bats. This colony resides right under the Congress Avenue Bridge located right over Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. Even though is sounds creepy or gross that these little bats hang out right where most of us spend our days, they make a huge impact on bettering our environment by eating 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of bugs every night. Many people don’t know that Austin was a very swampy area until the construction of two dams on the Colorado River to control flooding in the area and maintain water levels throughout the year giving way for the perfect habit for mosquitos, gnats, and other annoying insects. Roughly 100,000 people come to Austin to see the bats emerge in the late evening to go and feed and as an experienced guide in the area, I have seen the spectacle hundreds of times and it never gets old. Surprisingly, many Austinites have never taken the time to see the bats in the summer from on top of the bridge or from the water.  This is one of the most unique and exciting things to experience during your visit to Austin, so come out and paddle with us to see this beautiful natural phenomenon.

See you on the water!

Hayden