Trip Overview It’s a glorious morning on Charleston Harbor. Rain or shine, there is never a bad day. It can get interesting with wind and the choice of clothing by our participants. Nevertheless, the environmental wonders await our explorers as they embark on board the M/V Charleston Explorer for a 2.5 hour adventure to a barrier island, the jewel of all or our programs..

Upon boarding the M/V Charleston Explorer, your biologist and crew will make safety announcements regarding location of lifejackets, bathrooms, etc. As the Explorer gets underway, a brief description and map orientation of the areas to be studied will be given. The participants are arranged into small groups and invited up to the Touch Table to view some of our collected specimens. These include Grass Shrimp, Sea Grapes & Lettuce, assorted fish, crabs, oysters & corals. As the tour progresses, more animals are collected and observations made

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It  takes about 25-35 minutes to motor through historic Charleston Harbor, with views of the Battery and Castle Pinckney, on our way to one of the harbor’s undeveloped barrier islands. Depending on the weather conditions, the participants disembark on Crab Bank or Morris Island, each island with its own special characteristics. Morris Island is located just south of Fort Sumter. During the Civil War, as commemorated in the movie Glory, the heroic battle of Cumming's Point was fought. Crab Bank is a smaller island located just south of Shem Creek. Crab Bank is home of one of the largest bird sanctuaries in the area. At Cummings          .
Point on Morris Island, and the west end of Crab bank, our participants disembark from the CHARLESTON EXPLORER as our hands-on study of the Barrier Island begins. Occasionally, a terrestrial ghost crab will be caught permitting a brief inspection of its unusual adaptations. 

This is a great opportunity for beach combing and shell' collecting - sand dollars, whelks, mermaids purses and other treasures abound on this beautiful beach, accessible only from the water. The biologists may run the Seine Net - a 50'x4' net taken out into the water for sampling. With the participant’s help, various marine specimens will be collected for further study.

The group then moves on to study the salt marsh and compares its distinctive flora and fauna with those of the island ocean beaches. A variety of birds will be spotted and identified. Guests may also search for fossilized shark's teeth and vertebrae, as well as Civil War relics like bits of lead and pottery sherds.

While everyone has been enjoying all Morris Island has to offer, back on CHARLESTON EXPLORER, Captain Terry has been towing the dredge to harvest a sample of bottom-dwelling creatures for the Touch Table & Tank. It is always a great surprise to discover what he has caught horseshoe crabs, whelks, tonguefish, shrimp and an occasional pipefish are possible.

Upon conclusion of the beach programs, the participants rejoin the M/V Charleston Explorer. On all trips, we are on the look out for one of our resident Dolphins pods. Large groups of Dolphins are found on 90% of all trips. It is one of the all time natural experiences to watch pup Dolphins interact in perfect symmetry with their mothers as they feed or play in the wakes of the M/V Charleston Explorer.on trips to Crab Bank, time is a side for a visit to one of our “Underwater Habitats. You never know what creatures will be found when our crab pots are pulled. There is always something that needs further hands on inspection at the touch tank.

With the journey back to the Maritime Center, participants are presented with breath-taking views of Charleston city's skyline.

Cost: $12 per participant