WWII-era duck boats have been transporting tourists (and championship sports teams) through Boston since 1994.
The model DUKW amphibious vehicles were first built by General Motors six months after the United States joined allied forces in December 1941. The vessels originally fulfilled the need for dockless transportation of supplies from sea to land, and ultimately carried soldiers onto the shores of Normandy in the summer of 1944.
Each year, an estimated 600,000 visitors go for a splash in the Charles River aboard Boston Duck Tours fleet of 28 reimagined amphibious vehicles – after the originals were phased out in 2006 due to high-maintenance demands.
– Hannah Van Sickle, The Boston 100