Chesapeake Bay: Great Basin of the East

Story of An Estuary

Chesapeake Bay is more than just a body of water. It is a very special place called an estuary, where fresh water from creeks and rivers meets the salt water of the ocean. This mixture of fresh and salty water is called brackish water. Our Bay used to be a part of the Susquehanna River, which flows from Cooperstown, New York, down through the center of Pennsylvania, and into Maryland. Chesapeake Bay, as we know it, was formed over 3,000 years ago when the Susquehanna River valleys were flooded. Today it is an important and beautiful ecosystem that provides wildlife, jobs, recreation, and transportation to everyone in Maryland.

In this Maryland Exploration you will begin to discover Chesapeake Bay watershed and the ways that water connects us to Chesapeake Bay. As Pride of Baltimore II sails around Maryland on Chesapeake Bay, we can remember that, because she is our ship and represents our state, she connects each of us to the special places she visits.

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