Beaufort Tours Archives - Coastal Expeditions Beaufort https://coastalexbeaufort.com/category/beaufort-tours/ Boat Tours, Kayak & Sup Tours and Rentals Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:47:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Wild Bird Barbie: The Roseate Spoonbill https://coastalexbeaufort.com/wild-bird-barbie-the-roseate-spoonbill/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:47:47 +0000 https://coastalexbeaufort.com/?p=10124 It’s not a flamingo, it’s a Roseate Spoonbill! These large pink wading birds have a spoon-shaped bill and bare yellowish green head. These beautiful birds can be found foraging in fresh, brackish, and marine waters and will roost and nest in shrubs along the water’s edge. How are they pink? Well, Roseate Spoonbills are

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It’s not a flamingo, it’s a Roseate Spoonbill! These large pink wading birds have a spoon-shaped bill and bare yellowish green head. These beautiful birds can be found foraging in fresh, brackish, and marine waters and will roost and nest in shrubs along the water’s edge. How are they pink? Well, Roseate Spoonbills are pink due to their diet that consists of a variety of crustaceans and other small aquatic invertebrates that contain a pigment called carotenoids. When foraging, they sweep their partly opened spoon-shaped bill back and forth through the water feeling and looking for crustaceans. When they find their prey, they snap their bill closed and swallow their prey whole!

Roseate Spoonbills are social birds and often nest in colonies with egrets, herons, and ibises. The males will shake nearby twigs and bob their heads to attract a female. Once they are paired, the male will present the female with sticks, and she begins building the nest. The pair will only stay together for one breeding season and the female will build the nest in the shadiest part of the tree or shrub up to 16 feet high. When the chick is first hatched it does not have a spoon-shaped bill like its name suggests! The spoon-shaped bill will form over time and at 39 days its bill is nearly full size.

roseate spoonbill fishing in the water in Beaufort SC

These unique birds can live up to 15 years and are 1 of 6 spoonbills in the world but are the only spoonbill that can be found in the Americas. Due to Roseate Spoonbills nesting and foraging in areas that are difficult to reach and survey, obtaining an estimate of their population is difficult. The best estimates on their populations have been obtained by the  North American Breeding Bird Survey and Partners in Flight. With these estimates the North American Breeding Bird Survey has found their populations have nearly increased 6.5% per year between 1966 and 2019.  With their population steadily growing, the species is of low conservation concern, although in some areas, nesting Roseate Spoonbills are vulnerable to human disturbance from boating and other recreational activities that have resulted in nests being abandoned. The Roseate Spoonbill is truly an amazing bird and can often be seen foraging along the water’s edge and showing off its pretty pink color. To witness these beautiful birds in action join us on the water either through a guided boat, kayak, and paddleboard tour or on your own by renting a kayak or paddleboard!

Post by Ally Jo Salomon (Naturalist Guide)

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Bonnethead Sharks https://coastalexbeaufort.com/bonnethead-sharks/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:13:12 +0000 https://coastalexbeaufort.com/?p=9801 Bonnethead Sharks or Sphyrna tiburo are the smallest member of the hammerhead family that can reach up to 4 feet long. They are an amazing indication here in the low country that summer has arrived! The once quiet salt marsh is now full of bonnethead sharks that can be found feeding on a variety

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Bonnethead Sharks or Sphyrna tiburo are the smallest member of the hammerhead family that can reach up to 4 feet long. They are an amazing indication here in the low country that summer has arrived! The once quiet salt marsh is now full of bonnethead sharks that can be found feeding on a variety of crustaceans and small fish during low tide near the exposed mudflats. Although these sharks are mostly carnivorous, they occasionally eat plants such as seaweed or seagrass making them omnivores unlike their other hammerhead family members.

 

But, just like other hammerhead sharks, the bonnethead shark has an odd, shaped head that distinguishes them from other shark species. They have a unique shovel shaped head that allows them to make sharper turns and have a wider range of vision when hunting for prey. Not only are their heads different than other shark species, but they are the only known species of shark in the world that you can distinguish females from males based on their heads. Female bonnethead sharks have a smooth round head compared to the males who have a bulge on their head. Recent research has also suggested bonnethead sharks are sensitive to the earth’s magnetic field and likely utilize it during migration to navigate from deep waters in the winter to shallower waters in the summer.

Like dolphins, these sharks also travel in groups of up to 15 but have been seen in the thousands during migration! Bonnethead sharks also excrete cerebrospinal fluid that informs other sharks nearby of their arrival. Bonnethead sharks are a unique and amazing animal that has been listed as an endangered species since 2019 due to overfishing by small scale fisheries. To see these awesome sharks in person join us on a guided boat or kayak tour or enjoy them on your own adventure by renting a kayak or paddleboard!

Post by Ally Jo Salomon (Naturalist Guide)

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Osprey Eyes https://coastalexbeaufort.com/osprey-eyes/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 15:08:31 +0000 https://coastalexbeaufort.com/?p=9797 Osprey are raptors found around nearly every body of water. Some may even migrate great distances in pursuit of ideal habitat. Perched or flying above rivers, ponds, reservoirs, coral reefs and here throughout the lowcountry; our salt marshes. Their simplistic stick nests can be found in dead trees, on man-made osprey platforms and even using

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Osprey are raptors found around nearly every body of water. Some may even migrate great distances in pursuit of ideal habitat. Perched or flying above rivers, ponds, reservoirs, coral reefs and here throughout the lowcountry; our salt marshes. Their simplistic stick nests can be found in dead trees, on man-made osprey platforms and even using channel markers as foundations. The nests are most often positioned in wide open spaces, often right over the water. They are visual hunters who use open perches or flying in their unmistakable M shape to scan the water for fish using their incredible eyesight.

Osprey eyes have four types of color sensors compared to our three, this allows them to perceive ultraviolet light along with the light visible to humans. Along with binocular vision they have an amazing peripheral field as well, giving them a wide range to the sides. Osprey also have dark feathers surrounding their eyes to reflect the sun’s glare bouncing off the water. Even more advanced is their calculation of the refractive index. Determining exactly how deep prey is as water depth changes the angle a fish might appear from above vs under water. Scientists even think they can ‘see’ the earth’s magnetic field which allows precise navigation over long migrations. An osprey’s right eye contains specialized proteins which are thought to perceive the earth’s magnetic fields.

Like most birds of prey, an interesting way to determine the age of an osprey is to look at the color of their eyes. They are born with dark blue or black eyes and after a few days the eyes will change to an amber color. Once the youngsters fledge they typically head on a migration all the way down to South America, amber eyes and all. When they return north after 1.5-3 years, they return with amazing bright yellow eyes, marking them as mature and ready to breed!

Post by Matt Luzon (Captain)

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A Southern Safe Haven https://coastalexbeaufort.com/a-southern-safe-haven/ Fri, 19 May 2023 21:53:14 +0000 https://coastalexbeaufort.com/?p=9499 The barrier islands of the South Carolina lowcountry are a charming and important geological landform. Situated directly in contact with the Atlantic ocean, barrier islands protect more proximal sea islands and the mainland from high energy storm cells. Unlike sea islands, barrier islands are in a perpetual state of change. In fact, they can

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The barrier islands of the South Carolina lowcountry are a charming and important geological landform. Situated directly in contact with the Atlantic ocean, barrier islands protect more proximal sea islands and the mainland from high energy storm cells. Unlike sea islands, barrier islands are in a perpetual state of change. In fact, they can change by the day, and on St. Phillip’s island, the beach drop off point is where this daily and weekly shift can be seen most immediately. My previous trip out to the island stunned me by how different the beachfront looked compared to the last time I saw it, about 2 weeks before. Every time I visit, more and more debris accumulates on the high tide line bordering the beach trail. But, despite this frequent physical metamorphosis, the island takes on a fairly lonely role as being one of the last pristine safe havens for migrating and nesting seabirds and shorebirds along the coast of South Carolina.

I walked south towards the southern tip of the beachfront. On this particular day, the tide was extremely low, exposing vast areas of sand flats that aren’t normally visible. It was a bright, sunny morning with not a cloud in the sky, the smell of salt was heavy on the air, and I had one goal: to get a good view of the seabirds taking advantage of the exposed sand flats to rest and forage.


The exposed sand flat behind the large congregation of seabirds.


To my pleasant surprise, I was able to make out every single species of tern off the lowcountry coast at that time, in addition to many other species and a large group of my favorite seabird: the black skimmer. This bird is beautifully unique, and exhibits a really interesting foraging technique where they fly extremely close to the water’s surface with their lower mandible skimming for fish. Upon contact with a prey item, the bird quickly shuts their large, black and orange bills. The bill is actually a great way to identify them, as they seem to have a large underbite.


A small portion of the black skimmers seen. One can be seen laying completely down, which is done to cool off in the heat.


Seeing this sparked in me a sense that I was witnessing a rare congregation, a feeling that I was lucky to see such an aggregation of seabirds. And in part, I was. Habitats such as the exposed sand flat with little vegetation around and not a single man-made structure in view are quickly disappearing. The majority of barrier islands here are now developed, and are continuing to have more homes and municipalities spawn. With that comes a double edged sword that is detrimental for birds like the black skimmer: habitat loss and human disturbance. Each edge has worked to cut the black skimmer population down about 87% in 49 years of surveying. The skimmer is particularly sensitive to disturbance, especially during nesting season (May through July). If disturbed during this time, nesting mates quickly abandon eggs and do not return to continue incubating. This is why the majority of the recorded skimmer nests occur on protected islands where disturbance is prohibited, such as Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.


The low tide line where numerous whelks, clams, starfish, hermit crabs, and horseshoe crabs were found.


No matter the beach you visit this summer, you can do your part in ensuring birds like the black skimmer can nest successfully. Keeping dogs on their leashes, giving large groups of birds a wide berth, and avoiding the dune areas are all ways you can help protect such magnificent birds. Come visit St. Phillip’s with us to witness one of the last remaining southern safe havens.

Post by Eric Ng (Naturalist Guide)

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Bringing Ibis Home to Roost https://coastalexbeaufort.com/bringing-ibis-home-to-roost/ Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:19:37 +0000 https://coastalexbeaufort.com/?p=6038 Capt. Chris Crolley and Capt. Henry Brandt on board the Ibis. The big reward after designing and building a new vessel is getting to do the maiden voyage. Last week, Capt. Chris Crolley and Capt. Henry Brandt boarded our 50-foot, 49-passenger ferry for the first time in Fort Pierce, Florida and took

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Capt. Chris Crolley and Capt. Henry Brandt on board the Ibis.

The big reward after designing and building a new vessel is getting to do the maiden voyage. Last week, Capt. Chris Crolley and Capt. Henry Brandt boarded our 50-foot, 49-passenger ferry for the first time in Fort Pierce, Florida and took it home to Beaufort via the Instacoastal Waterway. With overnight stops at Cocoa Beach and Fernandina Beach, Florida where they slept aboard the boat, they were able to get back in three days.

Manatees in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

It was an ever-changing landscape that drifted from tropical to sub-tropical landscapes as they headed north. As they travelled through places like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, they were surrounded by an aggregation of manatees, so they just cut off the motors for a while and took in the moment. Of the birds, white pelicans and roseate spoonbills (with the deepest pink colorations!) were the highlights.

Finally at the home slip in Beaufort!

Now that Ibis is home in her slip at the Beaufort Marina downtown, it is ready to take people out to see the beauty of the Lowcountry. Built for larger tours and groups, Ibis is a fully-covered passenger ferry that is perfect for enjoying a sunset or cruising by the waterfront. Sign up for a scheduled tour, or call us up for a private tour with your group!

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