Up-close encounters with wildlife are one way to socially distance from others while enjoying outdoor, open-air activities. With its protected, diverse ecosystems, the South Carolina coast offers unique opportunities for some once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Dolphin Feedings
At Kiawah Island, for example, there are excellent opportunities for spotting dolphins engaged in an activity known as strand feeding. This occurs when a group of dolphins herd a school of fish or shrimp up onto a sandbar or mudflat. Dolphins launch their bodies out of the water to feed. It is a unique behavior that is fascinating to watch. Dolphin strand feeding typically peaks within three hours of low tide at various sites around Kiawah Island. It is also more common in the spring and fall, but can be seen throughout the summer. If you encounter strand feeding dolphins, please maintain a distance of 75 feet.
Turtle Nesting
Sea turtle nesting season runs through the end of October on Kiawah Island. Volunteers mark new nests and keep an eye open for the emergence of hatchlings. This is not so much an activity to observe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do your part to help. Keep lights out at night as the mother uses the light of the moon to guide her little ones safely to the water. Porch lights, floodlights and flashlights on the beach can cause turtles to go in the wrong direction.
Also, just like humans, give them plenty of space. Make sure there are no obstacles left on the beach at night that get in their way. Pick up plastic bags, bottles and balloons as they look like jellyfish, which sea turtles eat. You can also join a naturalist at Kiawah Island Resort for a Night Beach Walk to learn more.
Gator Ponds
Alligator sightings are fairly common along the Carolina coast, particularly in brackish, backwater ponds. It’s estimated that about 700 alligators make their home on Kiawah Island, where you can take an Alligator Adventure Tour. You also want to take precautions. Keep small children and pets away from lakes and ponds where alligators live. Never feed alligators, and always keep your distance.
Walk on the Wild Side
Wild Dunes Resort also offers several wildlife excursions, including a Dolphin Discovery Sunset Cruise, Blue Crabbing Excursion and Capers Island Wildlife Exploration, where visitors enjoy a naturalist-guided boat tour to one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier islands.
Oh, Deer!
That’s right. Kiawah Island is home to white-tailed deer that are known to hang out at the beach. There are about 500 deer on the Island. They can often be seen at dawn and dusk.
Book Your Vacation to the Charleston Coast
Stay in a great property that puts you in tune with nature like our one-bedroom Mariners Watch villa, 300 yards from the beach with great lagoon views off a screened-in porch. Or, book a three-bedroom oceanfront vacation rental like 4463 Windswept. This rental puts the beach boardwalk right at your backdoor, and with those sweeping ocean views, you’ll have the perfect vantage point for watching the water.