Kayak With Dolphins in Historic Shem Creek
Description
Paddle into the heart of Charleston’s most iconic tidal creek on this guided kayak adventure. From our private dock on Shem Creek, you’ll slip past shrimp boats and oyster beds into quiet saltmarshes alive with wildlife. Keep your eyes open for bottlenose dolphins surfacing nearby, pelicans diving for fish, and graceful egrets hunting along the banks. In summer months, even manatees and sea turtles visit these waters. Along the way, your naturalist guide shares stories of Lowcountry history and ecology, ensuring the experience is both fun and enriching. Stable kayaks, expert instruction, and small group sizes make this tour safe and enjoyable for all ages. Whether you’re a first-time paddler or seasoned adventurer, this is one of the best ways to see Charleston from the water.
Tour Options
Itinerary
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.
Historic Shem Creek is one of the most iconic spots in Charleston and is known for its shrimp boats, seafood restaurants and wildlife. Bottlenose dolphins frequent this creek and will often breach just feet away from your kayak. In the summers, manatees call Shem Creek home and loggerhead turtles will occasionally pop above the surface. As you pass by the shrimp boats and oyster-lined marshes, you see Charleston Harbor and the Holy City Skyline. The Netflix show Outer Banks films on Shem Creek and your guide can show you familiar places where Pogues hang out!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(446)
This was a highlight of our week! Captain Bill and Olivia were wonderful!
Seamless experience with an awesome crew! The guide was so friendly and so knowledgeable. The entire trip was just fabulous!
Wonderful experience! Henry was the perfect guide, telling is about the area, birds, fish, oyster banks, history etc. Elegant birds and funny fiddler crabs. We learnt so much! Missed out on the dolphins, though, so we have to come back another time! Highly recommended!
Very peaceful and the guide was well informed. Graham was able to answer all of our nature questions. We saw all kinds of shore birds and some dolphins.
Friendly staff. - equipment was in good shape.
Such a cool time seeing the sights and wildlife. Super friendly staff got us in the water safely and efficiently. I will use them again when I am back in town.
We had a fantastic outing. Our captain, Bo, was terrific. We saw roughly twenty dolphins in at least two pods. They were playful, swam along with the boat and even jumped out of the water! There were two newborns as well. Outstanding experience!
MC was an amazing guide - so knowledgeable and personable. It was everything we hoped for and more. What a beautiful way to experience nature in Charleston.
Our guide, Jacob, was knowledgeable and personable. He was always mindful of where we were on the water and the traffic around us and kept us clear of all obstacles. He was well-versed on the history, flora, and fauna of Shem Creek and the Crab Bank and was able to tell us where to look and what we were seeing. The kayaks themselves were well-maintained and in good condition, and the instructions on how to get the most out of them were clear and complete. We saw many interesting birds and other wildlife. An altogether wonderful experience. Would definitely do it again.
Peaceful relaxing unique experience seeing Shem Creek and the Harbor by kayak. Very knowledgeable guide, Bo. Wildlife including dolphins and explanations of their roles in the ecosystem around Charleston.
