The 17th annual River Quest harbor cruises are under way this week, bringing hundreds of Northland sixth-graders to the Duluth harbor and St. Louis River estuary.
The program gets students on the water for a firsthand look at the estuary's ecosystem and the industrial, commercial and recreational activities on the lower river.
The two-hour tours, running from Tuesday through today, include 10 learning stations along the waterway.
This year about 875 students signed up for the tours, bringing to more than 13,000 the number of students who have participated since the program started in 1993. The tours on the Vista Star tour boat are sponsored or staffed by nearly 30 local businesses and organizations.
