Charleston Nature Boat Tour: Explore Coastal Wildlife

Join a certified naturalist for a 2-hour boat tour in Charleston. Explore wildlife, hunt for shark teeth, and enjoy stunning ocean views.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Coastal South Carolina - On this tour of Charleston Harbor and its amazing waterways and incredible uninhabited islands, the guide will show you numerous species of shorebirds such as Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Eastern Brown Pelicans, and Least Terns in their natural habitat. You will also see dolphins that are often at play as they…
What's Included
  • Boat
  • Guide
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information

Join a certified naturalist for a 2-hour nature boat tour through Charleston’s waterways. This small group adventure will explore Charleston’s rich coastal wildlife, cruising through Charleston Harbor and making a stop at Morris Island, where you can walk around, search for shells, and possibly find some shark teeth. During the trip, catch sight of…

Location
Charleston Maritime Center
Wharfside Street
1/2 block from the SC Aquarium
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(79 Ratings)
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602elishevas
Jul 31, 2025
Highly recommend, excellent value and lots of fun - The boat ride was fantastic. The captain JP was super nice and fun, with lots of great stories about the landmarks we went past. Our guide Dallas is a recent college graduate who knew so much about the animals and ecosystems around us. She was a joy to be with. My family found many beautiful shells and also a shark's tooth. We saw dolphins, pelicans, gulls. On the boat ride back we went through the wake of a large container ship which was a lot of fun in our sturdy boat. Overall this was an excellent way to spend the morning and I'd recommend it to anybody.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris
Jul 18, 2025
Highlight of Our Charleston Trip – Personal, Fun, and Full of Wildlife Surprises - Sandlapper Water Tours 10 Wharfside St, Charleston, SC 29401 Tour operator Chris G 251 points   17 hours ago We booked this tour just a few days in advance without knowing what to expect, as we were visiting from Canada. It ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. The staff were excellent from the start. We arrived early and were welcomed and checked in right away. The group size was small, which made the experience more personal. Instead of using a speaker system, the crew spoke directly with us, which made it feel more like a conversation than a tour. The naturalist on board shared tons of interesting facts about the local wildlife and ecosystem, and the captain was both funny and informative. On the way to the island stop, we were lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins. The time on the island was relaxed, and we even found some beautiful shells and other ocean treasures. We’d absolutely recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Charleston harbor area. The location is close to other attractions, so it’s easy to fit into a full day out in the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janak_f
Jul 3, 2024
Wonderful way to see the water & wildlife in Charleston - This boat tour was fantastic. There were 2 captains- 1 drove and the other was a teacher and naturalist and told us all about the history and wildlife of the area. We stopped on the beach and she helped identify shells, fossils, and shark teeth. Walking in the water was a refreshing break on a hot day! We saw tons of dolphins and got super close on the smaller boat. Our trip only had 3 groups of people, a family, a couple, and our group of 4 women. Overall a great trip for all ages and a wonderful way to see Charleston.
Review provided by Viator
Kelly_w
Jun 27, 2024
2! Hour island tour - Very informative trip to Morris Island & by Fort Sumter. Best part was finding sharks teeth on Morris Island.
Review provided by Viator
Joy_h
Jun 25, 2024
Super enjoyable and educational - Our family took this tour and loved it from start to finish. The boat captain and two mates (I am sorry I don't remember their names) were excellent guides. Learned a lot about the nature in and around the Charleston harbor area. We also spotted dolphins playing in the water and the captain took us near to see them but did not disturb them. We got out on Morris Island and had plenty of time to explore and gather shells. There was a little bit of walking on the island but very safe. This was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.
Review provided by Viator
Sjtravellers
Jun 1, 2024
A lovely way to spend a morning. - This was a relaxes and relaxing cruise. The weather was perfect, the water was calm, and there were indeed dolphins. I think my favorite part was beaching on the island and walking around. It was fun to collect shells and get our feet, wet, see all the beautiful bleached driftwood, and the sand was so wonderful and fine. Both kids and adults really enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leahs957
Jul 10, 2023
Fun Family Excursion - Great time on the water learning about the city of Charleston and the wildlife native to the area. The stop on Morris Island allowed time to look for shells and shark teeth. When leaving the island we saw several dolphins. All in all a pleasant experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dirtysouth72
Jun 7, 2023
Amazing Relaxation - My favorite part of the tour was being able to get off the boat, hop off on Morris Island, and explore. For so future travelers, be prepared to enjoy the breeze, see the dolphins, and just relax.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tosatwo
May 14, 2023
An Enjoyable Tour for All Ages - A nice boat tour through the harbor to Morris Island. Our guide was very knowledgeable, sharing the history of the area and her observations of the marine animals and birds we saw during the trip. Dolphins and pelicans were active along they way to and back from Morris Island, and she explained their behaviors and seasonal activity in the context of what we witnessed. Beachcombing on Morris Island was fun with finding shells and shark teeth along the sand. A fun, interesting, and worthwhile trip for all ages.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
47curtisw
May 6, 2023
Nature Adventure in Charleston Harbor - We took a Nature trip with Sandlapper and were totally happy with the tour. Capitan Mike made the cruise smooth and relaxing.Rachel provided wonderful information about the local plants animals and fish. I highly recommend booking your Charleston Harbor Adventure with this guide service.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $52
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).