Hilton Head Dolphin Tours – Getting to Know the Island!
Hilton Head Island is known for its miles of white sand beaches, lush green forests, and fantastic golf courses. But one of the most unique experiences you can have while visiting is to have one of our well-known Hilton Head Dolphin Tours. This experience offers visitors an unforgettable encounter with some of nature’s most majestic creatures in their natural habitat. Whether you’re looking for an educational adventure or just want to see these amazing animals up close and personal, this excursion will provide your group with memories that last a lifetime.
Being that Hilton Head Boat Charters (that’s us!) is consistently rated as at the very top of Hilton Head Dolphin Cruise options, we figured that we would walk you through what you would typically experience on one of our private charters.
Skull Creek
Our Hilton Head Boat Tours start out at the north end of the island at Hilton Head Harbor. Once you have parked your car and connected with your captain at the dock, you will shove off in one of our premium boats and out into Skull Creek. One of the first things that you will notice is this large and uninhabited body of land directly across the creek which is the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. Pinckney Island is over 4,000 acres of unspoiled beauty and it is located in between Hilton Head Island and the mainland.
Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge
One of the most popular activities on Pinckney Island is hiking. There are over 10 miles of trails that you can hike and experience some of the low country’s amazing wildlife like – Alligators, deer, herons, egrets, bald eagles and more. For the nature lover – Pinckney Island is an absolute jewel of a place.
From Pinckney Island – We will continue our private boat charter and motor under the bridge to Hilton Head and out into the intracoastal waterway. As we work our way down to the Harbour Town Lighthouse, we will pass by the waterfront communities of Spanish Wells and Windmill Harbour as well as Jarvis Creek, Broad Creek, and the May River.
Dolphin Ahoy!
By the time we get to Broad Creek, we are almost always guaranteed to have spotted our first pod or two of our local Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin. A good number of these amazing mammals are here year-round because our waters and marshes are jam packed with nutrients that feed our robust fish population, which in turn feed our local Dolphins. It is not unusual to see our Dolphins strand feeding, frolicking about, or even sometimes mating!
Buck Island
From Broad Creek we generally work our way behind Buck Island, a small private island just off of Hilton Head. The water back there is almost always calm and if there is any wind, the trees tend to knock it down. This is usually where our guests like to crack open their choice of adult beverages along with a cheese platter and chips.
As we exit the waters behind Buck Island and head out into the Calibogue Sound, the Harbour Town Light House and Daufuskie Island come directly into view. The red and white striped 90-foot-tall lighthouse is probably the most photographed landmark on the island. One hundred and four steps to the very top, this iconic structure towers about the tree canopy and can be seen from the water for miles around.
Daufuskie Island
The other landmark that can be seen for miles around is Daufuskie Island, which is 12 square miles of absolute magic. From the Calibogue Sound side of the island, you will see both Melrose Resort and Haig Point communities. Here are some crazy things to know about Daufuskie Island:
• Daufuskie has less than 500 people live on this island that is 1/3rd the size of Manhattan.
• Crazy to imagine, but Daufuskie didn’t have electricity until the early 1950’s.
• If that wasn’t crazy enough, check this out, Daufuskie had zero phone service until the early 1970’s.
• Daufuskie is absolutely steeped in local history.
The magic that is Daufuskie Island is absolutely worth exploring and we highly recommend taking a guided history tour with Tour Daufuskie to learn more about what makes this island so special.
After checking out the Lighthouse and Daufuskie Island, it’s generally time to start heading back. By the time we make it back to the dock, two hours of time will have completely melted away, it always goes a lot faster than you think.
In Conclusion
We hope this article has given you a glimpse into the amazing experience of our two-hour private Hilton Head Boat Tours. From the unspoiled beauty of Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge to spotting dolphins in their natural habitat, it is an unforgettable journey and one that we highly recommend for anyone visiting the island. Don’t forget about Daufuskie Island either – exploring its unique history with Tour Daufuskie will be something you won’t soon forget!
And if you are in the mood for a different kind of adventure on the water, don’t forget about our Hilton Head Sunset Cruise or Hilton Head Bachelorette Party options. So come join us and let us show why our private cruises are one of the top things to do in Hilton Head for groups and families.
