10 Eco Tours in South Carolina That You Shouldn't Miss

Naturalist guided tours to Capers Island Heritage Preserve. Trips depart from the Isle of Palms Marina and take you through winding salt marsh tidal creeks and the intracoastal waterway to Capers Island. Along the way you will learn about this amazing ecosystem and the plants and animals that call it home. Bottlenose dolphin, loggerhead sea turtles, and numerous birds are common sightings. Your guide will pull crab traps and throw cast nets to bring marine life onboard to put in our touch tank for closer examination. The majority of our scheduled trips are aboard our covered 40 passenger pontoon boat equipped with a restroom and beaching ramp. We also offer inshore fishing and private ecotours on our 6 passenger and 16 passenger boats. Trips include: Capers Island Wildlife Exploration, Dolphin Discovery Sunset, Blue Crabbing Excursion, Creek Fishing, Family Fun Day, and Beachside Cookouts.

Now offering Premium Private Tours for your comfort and safety, Island Explorer is a great choice for your family or group. With over 30 years experience in dolphin and nature cruises around Hilton Head Island, Capt. Jim Harkins and Island Explorer offers unique and memorable tours. With three 12-passenger boats Island Explorer can accommodate larger families or groups and still offer intimate experiences. Choose a Sunset Dolphin Cruise, a 1-Hour Discovery Tour , a 2-Hour Dolphin Encounter, or our 3-Hour Vanishing Island Expedition™ to disembark on a secluded sandbar to search for sand dollars at the low tide. Every cruise will explore Hilton Head Island with scenic views of the marshlands, birds, and dolphins that make the Lowcountry special. Our captains are experienced, friendly, and informative.

This private 2 hour boat adventure is what Charleston is really all about! I'm a native captain, so we'll glide through the uncrowded backwaters of the most pristine estuaries in the country. We'll learn to harvest oysters, catch shrimp and identify local shore birds. Next, we'll find the Bottlenose Dolphins. Having them swim next to the boat is exciting, but if we find them feeding in the shallows it's spectacular! Our next destination is Morris Island where I'll teach you about its rich Civil War history as well as my own family ties to it. We'll then walk its shores looking for shells and artifacts as the sixth oldest lighthouse in the nation serves as our backdrop! So as you can see we have something for everybody on this trip. The dolphins are always here, the beach is loaded with shells, and if you listen hard enough you just may hear the roar of cannons from the past. So come on and join me! You never know what washed up the night before...

The ONLY biologist-owned ecotour business on Edisto and the ACE Basin

Sailing charters for families and events, including bachelorette weekends. Dolphin views and swimming and more.

Visit an unspoiled barrier island. Who knows what Mother Nature has in store? A lighthouse, eagles, dolphin, maybe even a turtle. You Plantation will​ have one and a half hours to leisurely stroll an unspoiled beach, accessible only by boat. Peace and quiet galore! One of our most popular tours!

Family fun for everyone! We offer 3 hour shell and sharks tooth hunting & history trips out to beautiful and secluded Morris Island, as well as romantic sunset and dolphin cruises. Science and eco tours for kids, and school groups that meet or exceed SC school standards as well. Definitely kid and pet friendly, too. Our vessels are perfectly suited for private charters, bachelorette and bachelor parties, anniversaries and birthday parties, any kind of get together you can think of, up to 80 passengers. Come on out and see us!

Nature Adventures, premier kayak and paddle board outfitter in the Charleston area of the Lowcountry, specializes in creating amazing experiences on the water. Located in Mt. Pleasant, SC directly adjacent to Shem Creek, our skilled and knowledgeable guides strive to instruct and engage you on the water. With quality equipment including recreational and sea kayaks, standup paddle boards, lightweight paddles, and kayak/SUP specific life jackets, you will explore in a comfortable and safe manner. Additionally, Nature Adventures offers unique opportunities beyond just tours and rentals. Team building, scavenger hunts, full moon paddles and special events are also available. These options are specialty events that can be tailored to the needs of any group, large or small. Enjoy the Charleston area and experience dolphins, pelicans and shorebirds at eye level or explore blackwater creeks with the songbirds and alligators too.

Explore the Salt Marsh surrounding Folly Island aboard a choice of two coast guard-inspected vessels. Experience coastal scientist-led adventures to several points of natural beauty and historical significance. Listen through our underwater hydrophone system as dolphins communicate. Families and groups experience a flexible, lightly structured venture through the beautiful lowcountry saltmarsh. Shelling on a secluded beach is always an option.

Charleston Outdoor Adventures (COA) is an eco-tour guiding and rental service located in the Folly Beach area. Our goal is to expand your appreciation of South Carolina’s rich coastal resources through exploration of our saltwater estuaries and engagement with the abundant wildlife that resides here. We offer guided kayak & stand-up paddle board tours, charter boat tours, inshore fishing charters and kayak & paddle board rentals. All guided trips are led by trained naturalists who strive to facilitate educational and interactive tours that you will remember for years to come! Regardless off the excursion or service you choose, we are confident that we can offer you unbeatable value & customer service. We hope that you choose COA and learn how and why our passion resonates in the hearts and minds of all of our adventurers.