City: Murrells Inlet, SC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (843) 651-3676

Address: 4123 US 17 Business

Description: Discover the amazing collection of plants, animals, birds, and marine life that makes up the best example in nature of a complete ecosystem. Not an artificial environment like a zoo or aquarium, this is the real thing. The captain’s saltwater marsh tour is interactive. Various nets and dredges are employed to retrieve specimens from beneath the water. Specimens go into onboard touch tanks where they can be seen, observed, and, when appropriate, touched and held. All living specimens are returned to the water. There’s also a fishing demonstration and a beach walk along a barrier island not accessible by car. Frequently, though not always, this adventure includes up-close encounters with bottle-nosed dolphins. All Explorer vessels are equipped with restrooms and operate from late spring through early fall. The two-and-a-half-hour boat ride is conducted by a marine naturalist. Call Captain Dick’s for schedules and reservations. Adults enjoy the trip for $21, while children 12 and under are $15.