duck bus tour seattle

Land and Water Tour

Ride the Ducks has been voted the #1 City Tour in Seattle for the past nine years and is a must-do experience whether you’re visiting from around the corner, across the country or from the other side of the world! Aren’t you curious why more than three million guests love the Ducks and return over and over again? Check out what others are sharing about their experience #onaduck!

A ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPERIENCE YOU’LL BE TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS!

THINK ABOUT IT: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DROVE A TRUCK INTO THE WATER ON PURPOSE?

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Ride the Ducks ceases operations in Seattle

by KOMO News Staff

SEATTLE -- The Ride the Ducks tour company, known for its boisterous city tours on colorful amphibious boats, has stopped all operations in Seattle , effective last Friday.

"We’ve been working hard to rebuild our business over the past few years and had been making great progress, showcasing our beautiful city through our iconic tours," said spokesperson Jamie Conlan.

But the devastating crash involving one of the vehicles and a tour bus that left five people dead and nearly 60 injured in 2015 left the company with several legal issues that were "simply too much for our company to overcome," Conlan said.

The crash was caused when the duck boat's front axle broke, according to the National Transportation Safety Board . Investigators found the break was caused by improper maintenance by Ride the Ducks Seattle and improper manufacturing by its parent company, Ride the Ducks International. Ride the Ducks Seattle eventually sued its parent company .

Conlan says the company believes it will ultimately be successful in its suit, it will come too late, especially with the severe drop off in tourism from the coronavirus outbreak.

"While impact of the coronavirus certainly accelerated our decision, we were faced with a set of financial realities that were inescapable," Conlan said.

Ride the Ducks Seattle – Many Hats…

How many feet deep is Lake Union? Where can you find a cigarette-burned guitar originally owned by “Layla”‘s Eric Clapton? In what part of Seattle did the first pioneers settle? What are the names of the sculptures decorating the Space Needle’s lawn? And where in Seattle can you find the country’s largest butterfly exhibit? You’ll find out all of this, and much more during one of Seattle’s “Ride the Ducks” sea and water tours—and all to the tune of The Bee Gee’s, MC Hammer, Frank Sinatra, and more.

The smell of newly-chewed bubble gum was in the air as Captain Clam Chowder boarded our amphibious vessel and introduced himself. “Raise your hand if you had dinner before getting on here,” he said to a less-than-energetic crowd. It was the last tour of the day; the sun was starting to set; the fall air was beginning to turn crisp. As I was seated in the far back, he put me in charge of the safety-donut and fire extinguisher. He also had us all hang our hands outside the open-air “windows,” and then informed us that these were our emergency exits. He mentioned life preservers, put on his trusty hat, and we were off…

“Check out the legs on that one!” he said as we passed by the Space Needle. Needless to say, our captain was a funny guy, although as it was the end of the day, we took some warming up. We passed by the Seattle Center, the Experience Music Project / Science Fiction Museum, and the 9-acre sculpture park near 1 st and Western. Thankfully, Captain Clam Chowder pointed out a large silver, aluminum tree, so I now know where not to stand during a lighting storm. Ba-dum-cha!

A late afternoon drive along Alaskan Way as the sun shines along the water with a breeze in your face is a delight. We passed the Edgewater hotel, made famous by the Beatles claiming they could fish from the windows of their hotel suite. Fisherman’s Wharf was bustling at this time with after-work comradery; we passed the Seattle aquarium, and the ferry and Canada/Alaska cruise terminals. All the while being inundated with fun-filled Seattle facts. We even started to play an interactive Starbucks game.

As we drove by Qwest field, Chowder started to blast the Monday night football theme music , which made the new stadium seem even more massive. After leaving the “sports district,” we drove through Pioneer Square, where we passed the entrance to Seattle’s underground tour, and where I saw the prettiest Quizno’s sub shop I’ve ever seen. MMmmm, Sammie’s. An umbrella of maple trees shade these streets, and older brick buildings line them. Meanwhile, I believe in Miracles, plays over the speakers, and MC Hammer is next…

As we passed by the Seattle Art Museum’s “Hammering Man,” and America’s longest-running Farmer’s Market, Pike’s Place, the bus started to get more energetic. Maybe it was the fact that our little land-boat was maneuvering its way around towering glass skyscrapers turned golden from the sun; or was it the moon-walking pedestrian who waved to us? Nah, I think it was because “Ah, ah, ah, ah, Staying Alive” came on.

That’s called a Quacker. Yours for only $2!

After a rock-n-roll , 31 MPH drive along Highway 99, and a glorious view over the Aurora Bridge, it was time to test out our sea legs. The Gilligan’s Island theme song played as we neared the boat launch. It was a quick and easy transition, and as our vessel began to float, Captain Clam Chowder passed back a drain stop, asking the passenger behind him to, “find out where this goes for me?”

So what, the University of Washington’s crew team was moving faster than us, all the better pace for us to soak in the ride, and take pictures!

After watching the sunset fade behind the Seattle skyline we headed back toward home-base. Not without playing a lively, Name-the-Seattle-Connection trivia game first. When we returned we were greeted by more staff who offered us prints of the photos we took before boarding. I didn’t buy one, but definitely good memorabilia for those that did.

And if you’re wondering: 34, EMP, West Seattle, Black Lightning and Moongate, Pacific Science Center.

Hi, I'm Ashleigh! Welcome to Seattle Travel, my little piece of beautiful PNW. This is home and I'm here to share all my experiences so visitors and locals alike can find the best experiences this part of the country has to offer. I started Seattle Travel in 2012 as a way to journal my experiences and over the years have been encouraged by family and friends to open up my adventures to everyone. I actively seek out the best food, activities, and day trips and give you a local perspective.  The Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful areas in the world and my goal is to let you explore it to the fullest. 

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Watch CBS News

Deadly crash between "Ride the Ducks" vehicle, bus in Seattle

Updated on: September 24, 2015 / 5:06 PM EDT / CBS/AP

SEATTLE -- An amphibious tour vehicle and a charter bus carrying foreign college students collided on a busy Seattle bridge Thursday, killing four people and sending dozens to hospitals in a wreck that scattered crumpled metal and broken glass on the road.

Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said 12 people were in critical condition and many others had minor injuries. The crash also involved two passenger cars.

Mayor Ed Murray said foreign students were on the charter bus, and efforts were being made to contact consulates. He had no other details.

North Seattle College confirmed to CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV that 45 students and staff from its international program were in the crash.

School spokeswoman Melissa Mixon said in a statement that the uninjured students and staff were taken back to campus, where counselors were on hand. Mixon said the school is trying to determine more information.

Witnesses described hearing a loud screech before the wreck and then seeing injured people either lying on the pavement or wandering around in a daze.

Jahna Dyer, a registered nurse, said she was walking across the Aurora Avenue bridge when she came upon the scene, a mess of jumbled metal and glass.

Some victims were lying on the road, while others milled about seemingly in shock and falling down, she said.

Dyer jumped a railing separating the sidewalk from the roadway and helped stabilize an injured man's neck. She said she also helped a woman who had a cut lip and glass in her eye.

"She was holding my hand and saying thank you," she said.

John Mundell said he was at the south end of the bridge when the crash occurred.

"We could hear the screech and twisted metal. It was surreal," he said, adding he saw what appeared to be a few dozen people on the ground. "I wanted to try to help. I felt helpless."

One of the vehicles involved was an amphibious, military-style bus operated by a tour company called "Ride the Ducks." The tours are known for exuberant drivers and guides who play loud music and quack through megaphones as they lead tourists around the city.

In a statement, Ride the Ducks of Seattle offered condolences to the victims' loved ones.

"Our company is fully cooperating with all law enforcement agencies and the first responders who are at the scene now trying to help the victims, get them prompt medical attention and eventually return traffic in the area to normal," the company said.

Seattle Fire Lt. Sue Stangl said emergency crews were quick to arrive at the scene and encountered several victims.

"When (firefighters) arrived a lot of people were running at them, obviously saying people needed help," Stangl said.

Northwest Hospital spokeswoman Karen Peck said her facility is one of at least six Seattle hospitals receiving patients. Three of the 15 patients being treated at Northwest were from one family, she said - men ages 60, 20 and 24.

Harborview Medical Center planned to treat up to 10 of the most seriously injured, spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.

The bridge was expected to be closed for hours as authorities investigated and cleared the wreckage, Stangl said.

The Aurora Avenue bridge carries Washington Highway 99, one of Seattle's two primary north-south arterials, over Lake Union. It has three lanes in each direction and no barrier separating the north and southbound lanes.

While there was no immediate word about the cause of the crash, some noted the safety of the amphibious boats has been questioned before. Lawyer Steve Bulzomi represented a motorcyclist who was run over and dragged by a Ride the Ducks boat that came up behind him at a stoplight in downtown Seattle in 2011.

"These are military craft that were never designed to navigate narrow city streets," Bulzomi said Thursday. "This is a business model that requires the driver to be a driver, tour guide and entertainer at the same time. It asks too much of the driver."

In 2010, a barge plowed into an amphibious vessel packed with tourists that had stalled in the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

The crash sent all 37 people on the duck boat into the river, but 16-year-old Dora Schwendtner and 20-year-old Szabolcs Prem never resurfaced. The Hungarians were visiting the United States through a church exchange program; their families filed wrongful-death lawsuits.

A tug operator, Matt Devlin, eventually pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the crash. Devlin acknowledged the accident was caused largely by his continuous use of a cellphone and laptop computer while he was steering the barge.

In July, the family of a woman struck and killed by an amphibious tourist boat in Philadelphia filed a wrongful-death lawsuit.

Attorneys for Elizabeth Karnicki's family allege the May 8 accident, which occurred during rush hour, was due in part to "huge blind spots" on the Ride The Ducks vehicle.

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Mechanical failure in 'Ride the Ducks' crash caused by maintenance, oversight issues

The National Transportation Safety Board said the cause behind a crash involving an amphibious Duck vehicle and a tour bus that killed five people was a mechanical failure that stemmed from maintenance-related problems and a lack of oversight years before the crash.

In NTSB’s assessment announced Tuesday, they reiterated that the driver was not at fault, but a mechanical failure.

>>PHOTOS: RIde the Ducks vehicle, tour bus crash in Seattle

According the board, the mechanical failure was related to a vehicle part called the Duck 6 axle housing design.

The company over Ride The Ducks Seattle, Ride The Ducks International (RTDI), was not registered with the Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a manufacturer. Therefore, the administration could not address defects.

>>RELATED: Q&A: Things to know about the deadly Seattle duck boat crash

According to the NTSB, RTDI was aware of defects on some of its vehicles and attempted to correct it with modifications to the vehicles, but the modifications were poorly executed.

In its summary, the NTSB said  Ride the Ducks of Seattle lacked protocols to ensure maintenance was completed properly and that RTDI should be registered as manufacturer so it can address defects through a federal recall program.

Safety issues included in the board’s report were:

Failure by unregistered vehicle manufacturer (RTDI)  to properly fix a safety defect under the recall process. Lack of adequate oversight of APV maintenance and failure to conduct safety repairs as recommended

Last month, the investigative review board released still frames showing the moments just before the September 2015 crash.

The pictures showed the Duck vehicle veering across the double yellow lines and then tearing into the tour bus that was taking 50 North Seattle College students on a tour of the city.

The amphibious Duck vehicle tore a 19-foot gash into the bus. Five international students were killed and dozens of others were hurt.

The NTSB had been investigating since the crash occurred and released transcripts from its work.

>>RELATED: City, state and Ride the Ducks company named in another wrongful death suit

The driver of the Duck, Eric Bishop, described losing control , feeling the steering wheel lock up, and then veering sideways.

He and the driver of the tour bus both were cleared after investigators looked at drug tests and cellphone records.

Earlier this year, Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a $380,000 settlement against Ride the Ducks for 159 acute or critical motor safety violations. Other violations were related to record-keeping.

Since the Ducks have returned to the roads, they no longer travel over the Aurora Bridge and have a second crew member to give the tour so that the driver will not have to take their attention off the road.

Statement from Pat Buchanan, the attorney representing Ride the Ducks Seattle

"Since the NTSB began its investigation, we have cooperated with and assisted in every way possible. The organization has done a remarkable job in parsing mountains of information and developing its final report.

"While the investigation by the NTSB is comprehensive as to the facts of the accident, we believe it is important to point out underlying issues that are critical to a complete understanding of the nature of the accident.

"For example, the report clearly concludes that Ride the Ducks International (RTDI) was a vehicle manufacturer, subject to very specific rules and regulations, including dramatically heightened responsibilities for warning operators of safety issues. Had the company done its duty as prescribed by the regulations, we believe this tragic accident would have never occurred.

"I think it is also noteworthy that the NTSB called into question RDTI design and manufacturing. The board called the design 'inherently flawed' and the welds it made prior to delivering the vehicle to Ride the Ducks Seattle 'poorly executed.'

"In fact, Ride the Ducks Seattle has said that the service bulletins issued by RTDI were often problematic, citing issues that had previously corrected, or offering changes that had not been designed or reviewed by engineers or the appropriate experts.

"Ride the Ducks Seattle has voluntarily taken many of the steps the NTSB discussed today, and the company welcomes working to refine and implement the additional safety enhancements discussed in the hearing.

"Ride the Ducks Seattle has gone above and beyond what the NTSB or Washington State's UTC has asked of it in working to become the safest commercial fleet in operation. Ride the Ducks Seattle has received the UTC's highest rating, and is setting the standard for the industry."

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• Ride the Ducks crash

A Ride the Ducks vehicle careened into oncoming traffic on the Aurora Bridge late Thursday morning (Sept. 24), smashing a tour bus filled with international students, killing 4 and injuring dozens of others.

• Read the breaking news story

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