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Charleston Creek Kayak Tour: Wildlife and History
4.9
392 Ratings
Mount Pleasant
Embark on a thrilling wildlife kayak tour of Charleston’s Shem Creek. Discover native animals, learn local history, and paddle through oyster-lined marshes. Book your adventure now!
Embark on a thrilling wildlife kayak tour of Charleston’s Shem Creek. Discover native animals, learn local history, and paddle through oyster-lined marshes. Book your adventure now!
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Coastal Expeditions on Shem Creek - Once you check in at Coastal Expeditions, your guides will prepare your group for the adventure by fitting your gear and offering a brief safety and instruction on how to sea kayak. Once we’re on the water, we’ll take a minute to get our “sea legs” before we paddle down towards the historic portion of Shem Creek and Charleston Harbor. We will return to this point at the end of the tour.
- Coastal Expeditions on Shem Creek - Once you check in at Coastal Expeditions, your guides will prepare your group for the adventure by fitting your gear and offering a brief safety and instruction on how to sea kayak. Once we’re on the water, we’ll take a minute to get our “sea legs” before we paddle down towards the historic portion of Shem Creek and Charleston Harbor. We will return to this point at the end of the tour.
What's Included
- Professional Guide with kayak, life guard & first aid certifications
- Kayaking Gear (Sea Kayak, Paddle, Personal Flotation Device)
- 2-Hour Guided Kayak Eco Tour
- Dry Bag (to keep phone & personal belongings from getting wet)
- Professional Guide with kayak, life guard & first aid certifications
- Kayaking Gear (Sea Kayak, Paddle, Personal Flotation Device)
- 2-Hour Guided Kayak Eco Tour
- Dry Bag (to keep phone & personal belongings from getting wet)
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Discover the charm of Charleston’s renowned creek through a sea kayak journey. Witness indigenous creatures and gain knowledge about the area’s history along the way. As we navigate around the oyster-encrusted marshlands and past the shrimp vessels, we’ll observe creatures such as bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, egrets and others. During the summer,…
Discover the charm of Charleston’s renowned creek through a sea kayak journey. Witness indigenous creatures and gain knowledge about the area’s history along the way. As we navigate around the oyster-encrusted marshlands and past the shrimp vessels, we’ll observe creatures such as bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, egrets and others. During the summer, manatees and sea turtles also inhabit this creek. The experienced guides from Coastal Expeditions spearhead this voyage, ensuring a secure and enjoyable adventure for participants of every age.
Location
514 Mill St
Mill Street
Coastal Expeditions is located at the end of Mill Street on the left. Parking is available in the private lot. If the lot is full, public parking is available on Mill or Scott Streets. Check in upstairs in the Coastal Expeditions office.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(392 Ratings)
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Randyfrym
Aug 27, 2025
Fantastic and fun - Wonderful experience kayaking Shem Creek. I would consider this more of a float trip than an exertive kayak experience. We kayaked down Shem Creek as the tide was going out, kayaked out to nature preserve island that could not be visited due to protected nesting season, and then kayaked back up as the tide was coming in. We saw tons of birds, dolphins, fish jumping. Overall a really lovely morning with a really lovely guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly
Aug 19, 2025
Incredible experience and reasonable price! - Ben was an awesome tour guide! My 20 year old son and I did the sunrise kayak tour. It was phenomenal! So worth getting up early. We saw tons of different birds, dolphins and even manatee. Ben was so knowledgeable about the wildlife and the area. I would definitely do this again! Just get up early and go! You will be glad you did!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T3665jtmariam
Aug 17, 2025
Kayak tour review - Our bachelorette party did the kayak tour and it was everyone’s favorite part of the trip! Colleen and Nate were amazing guides and so knowledgeable and friendly! I will definitely be bringing more friends and family back to do another tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynno580
Aug 13, 2025
Great kayaking and leaning about swamp ecosystem - Our tour on Kiawah River on John’s island with our knowledge guide Bo was amazing. We went before low tide and saw great egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, oysters, green heron and lots more. Learned a lot about brackish swamp eco system and had a great time kayaking. Would do it again gain 4 sure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cxt166
Aug 12, 2025
Full moon kayak tour was the highlight of our Charleston trip! Highly recommend Coastsl Expeditions! - We were treated to a tremendous experience on the kayaks by Coastal Expeditions. Our guide, Tate, greeted us warmly and helped us get oriented right away. He answered d as lol if our questions with kindness and genuine interest. His ability to teach the on land portion of as thorough and clear. He made sure that we were all comfortable and could maximize the overall time on the kayaks as a result. Once on the water, his understanding of the winds, currents, weather, and local wildlife made for a trip that had everything: views of birds, trees, sunset, clouds, and peaceful water. My husband, two teens, and I all made memories together and learned so much from Tate.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ginark235fb
Aug 11, 2025
We loved our experience! - We loved our experience! Morgan was our guide and she was SO informative, friendly, and felt like part of our group. She was lovely. On top of that, we saw dolphins, lots of different birds, a turtle...Morgan also pointed out insects/animals we'd normally overlook which was nice. Overall we loved it and would recommend to anyone interested!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hannahmb5751jl
Aug 10, 2025
5 stars - Colleen and Parrish were great guides. Not only did they take us on a more adventurous tour but told us about the wildlife and plant life as we saw it on the way. We had 5 young teen girls with us and was probably more of a handful than most guests but were not made to feel like we were. We were visiting from Alabama and all agreed that kayaking with Coastal Expeditions was our favorite activity we’d booked. Thanks for such an awesome experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
252marinal
Aug 10, 2025
Informative, fun and relaxing - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Coastal Expeditions – “Full Moon Boat Cruise”
Even though the full moon hid behind the clouds, this cruise was still an absolute delight! The tour was informative, relaxing, and full of interesting facts about the local wildlife and waterways. We learned so much and truly enjoyed the experience from start to finish. A big shout-out to Chris and his team — knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming, they made the evening memorable despite the weather. Highly recommend this trip for anyone who enjoys learning while soaking in the beauty of the Lowcountry!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Estrahs
Aug 6, 2025
Super Fantastic! - Tate was awesome! Super knowledgeable and friendly. Amazing location. Serene. Stunning environment and incredible information. Highly recommend! We left out of Kiawah island, not Shem creek.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
175sherriek
Aug 5, 2025
Great evening on Shem Creek - A wonderful evening on the water with Captain Randy and Madison.
Highly recommend as a great way to see Charleston from the water.
Review provided by Tripadvisor