Blog

By Capt. Weatherly What is an estuary?  This is one of my favorite questions to hear on the boat, and what started me down the path of ecotourism in the Charleston area.  At its most basic, an estuary is an area where freshwater rivers meet the ocean, resulting in fresh/salt water mixing.  There are four…

Blue Crabs Few animals feel more closely tied to Lowcountry waters than the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). The name literally means “beautiful savory swimmer,” which feels like a pretty accurate description. Equipped with 3 walking legs, a claw, and a rear swimmerette on each side, these crabs glide sideways through the water. Blue crabs are…

By Capt. Weatherly   This month we will be highlighting fisheries and the role that scientific research plays in creating sustainable fisheries and seafood. A few years ago we published a picture of a seahorse that was caught in a scientific research trawl then released.  The picture received a few comments about how irresponsible it…

By Capt. Olivia It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and there is romance to be found in the estuary. Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes mating season. Not all species reproduce in the spring, but many of them benefit from aligning with the influx of sunshine, warmth, food, and nutrients that is about…

The Humble Oyster: Unsung Hero of the Estuary By Capt. Weatherly This month we’re diving into one of the unsung heroes of the estuary — the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Critical habitat? Check Erosion control? Check Filtration system? Top notch. Hungry? Bring them on. Keystone of the Marsh Oysters are a keystone species,…

Outer Banks, North South Carolina By Capt. Olivia Most people associate the Outer Banks with North Carolina, but if you’re a fan of the Netflix show Outer Banks, you just may think of South Carolina first. From Folly Beach to Mount Pleasant and beyond, the Lowcountry has been the real-life stand-in for the fictional Kildare…

Fall is hands down the best time to be in the Lowcountry.   The water is still warm and it’s hot enough to enjoy a beach day without the full summer sauna effect. As an ecotour company, we work long hot hours in the summer and it’s bittersweet the first morning there’s a chill in the air and the first sunset cruise we put on a jacket. (*We’re total wimps – that’s 75 degrees.  We’re used to…

By Capt. Weatherly   Every August, the salt marsh announces the coming of Fall. I have a little flash of excitement combined with sadness when I see the first one: a blade of Spartina grass soaring proudly above the rest. It’s my signal that the long, lazy days of summer are slipping away. Our salt…

Summer storms showcase the beauty and power of nature By Capt. Weatherly Picture yourself relaxing on the beach on a picture-perfect summer day.  Blue skies, wispy clouds, gentle waves, birds calling, and children running along the sand. An unexpected rumble rolls past. You’ve just finished a snack, so it can’t be your stomach.  You turn…

By Capt. Weatherly One of my earliest surfing memories is floating in the water with my two best friends, one girl’s dad, and all his surfer friends. We were around 12 years old and even then I knew surfing was powerful – a connection to both the ocean and your friends. Over the years Mr….

By Capt. Weatherly While many people are familiar with the sea turtles that visit our beaches to nest, they’re not the only ones laying eggs this time of year. June also marks the peak of horseshoe crab nesting!  Horseshoe crabs spend most of their lives offshore, but during late spring and early summer they emerge…

                  Part 1 in our Birding Series By Olivia Hirst-Wilson   It seems to me like more people are starting to appreciate birds. When I first started birding about 10 years ago, there weren’t many people whose eyes didn’t completely glaze over when I talked about birds…