Photo by Larry Watts, Salt Marsh Photographic Cruises
In the Lowcountry, “photo ops” can be found at every turn: Moss-draped oaks, vistas of sandy beaches, dolphins racing at the bow of your boat, glorious silhouettes at sunset. Shutterbugs have a wonderful time from dawn to dusk.
For an amazing nature and sightseeing excursion, take the opportunity to join a guided photographic tour. More than a guided eco tour, this type of exploration is geared to a photographer’s sense of place, time and light. You will journey to the best locales to capture the essence of the Lowcountry. Visit pristine barrier islands; explore the salt marshes and fresh water swamps; witness spectacular views and dramatic wildlife behavior.
Award-winning photographer and master naturalist Eric Horan offers two exceptional tours. His Lowcountry Wildlife Photo Safaris (843-524-3037) offers two- and four- hour tours of the area waterways for all skill levels, even non-photographers. These trips are limited to five participants to maximize the overall outdoor experience and learning opportunity. They are tailored to individual interests and abilities as well as for each season’s best wildlife adventures, from summer’s entertaining dolphin and shorebird activities to winter’s visiting waterfowl; in the spring, see osprey, eagles feeding, and wading birds’ rookeries; in the fall the focus is on colorful land and seascapes, dolphin, deer and the fall migration. Transport is by small boat, or other means can be arranged, including kayaking, hiking or driving.
Eric’s Historic Savannah Waterfront Photo Safari (843-524-3037) will take you on a dramatic tour along the Savannah River. See everything from tugs and container ships to wading birds and dolphin. The schedule even allows time for a stopover at Savannah’s famed River Street. Transport is in his 19-foot Carolina Skiff, great for taking you from one dramatic setting to another.
A master naturalist who has been professionally photographing the coastal southeast for over 20 years, Eric knows where things are happening and how to get there. He has designed trips that don’t go where all the other tour boats are going.
With Eric’s knowledge of photography and experience in the Lowcountry, you will not only improve your photographs, but take back a memorable outdoor experience as well.
Focus on the wildlife with Live Oac (888-254-8362), offering photographic excursions as both shared and private adventures. Live Oac offers the right combination of time, tide, and place for your perfect photo experience. Low tide excursions highlight the peak feeding time of birds, dolphins, and more. Sunset cruises let us capture that perfect light, and the gorgeous Lowcountry sunsets. Live Oac’s specialty is the Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge, and destination charters can take you to specific vistas such as Daufuskie Island and historic Bluffton.
Salt Marsh Photographic Cruises (843-681-3728) offers fantastic opportunities for all skill levels to capture images from the water. This is an excellent trip even for non-photographers, relaxing and scenic just as a Lowcountry nature tour should be. As a Hilton Head resident for more than 30 years, retired veterinarian Capt. Larry Watts has blended his passions for boating, wildlife and photography to organize three different cruises through this area’s tidal creeks. In addition to the photogenic scenery, wildlife commonly observed include waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors (including American Bald Eagles), white-tailed deer and American alligators, with large concentrations of white ibis, herons, and egrets.
Before you set off on your journey, Capt. Watts takes time to explain where you are going and what you will be seeing as well as reviewing basic camera settings and photographic techniques.
The Gilbert Creek Cruise (about 2-1/2 to 3 hours) takes you around Pinckney Island and into Gilbert Creek.
The Coulter Creek Cruise (about 3-1/2 to 4 hours) includes Gilbert Creek as well as Coulter Creek. Venture up the May River into Bull Creek, and then into Coulter Creek, which winds along Palmetto Bluff. This loop takes you along Daufuskie Island.
The Doughboy Loop Cruise (about 4-1/2 to 5 hours) includes both the Gilbert Creek Cruise and the Coulter Creek Cruise. It also travels deeper into the inlets, tidal streams and creeks. You’ll get up close to hidden areas that you just can’t get to by land. You might even spot a wild boar on the more remote islands.
All tours launch from the dock behind the Skull Creek Boathouse (formerly the Boathouse II) at 397 Squire Pope Road.
Also see “Things To Do”:
1. Learn About Our Wildlife
4. Take a Guided Eco-Tour
6. Go Bird Watching
7. Explore a Wildlife Refuge
Companies that offer guided photographic tours include:
Historic Savannah Waterfront Photo Safaris (Website)
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
To learn of things to do in California and Oregon, try 101things.com
