Boat Tours

To reserve any of the activities listed here please call us at 800.827.3006.

Adventure Cruises

Since 1983, the best cruise value for your dollar! The 80-foot double deck cruise ship Holiday departs from Dock C at Shelter Cove Harbour. Inspected and licensed by the US Coast Guard, the Holiday has a snack bar and restrooms on board, with inside, open and shaded seating available. The ticket office is located at Harborside III.

Dolphin Watch Cruises

1 hour 45 minute narrated cruise features 45 points of interest including bottle nose dolphin, local knowledge and scenery.
Summer Schedule:
Departs M-F at 11:00, 2:00, 5:00 and Saturday at 11:00

Sunset Cruises

2 hour cruise
Summer Schedule: Departs Wed-Sat at 7:00 PM

Fireworks Sunset Cruise

2 hour cruise each tuesday evening to watch the Harbourfest fireworks.
Summer Schedule (June - August) Departs Tuesday only at 7:00 PM

Skimmer Nature Charters

Explore the backwaters and salt marshes of Hilton Head and surrounding islands aboard the Skimmer. Expect close encounters with dolphin and great birding on this personally guided nature tour. Captain Howard Costa's intimate knowledge of the area and its creatures will satisfy even the most experienced nature lovers.

Consider a morning, afternoon or all-day nature tour. Chartered trips aboard a 20-foot Skimmer with canvas top are available in segments of two to eight hours. Use the Skimmer to go Dolphin or bird-watching. Use it to collect shells or take a Lowcountry tour. Guests choose the activity that fits best in their schedule.

Capt. Howard Costa's intimate knowledge of Lowcountry nature makes this tour special. The Skimmer weaves its way along the backwaters and salt marshes of Hilton Head Island and the adjacent Sea Islands of the Carolina coast, encountering dolphins and all manner of birds along the way. Even the most experienced nature lovers will appreciate this tour.

20' Skimmer (seats 6 people comfortably)
2 Hour $225
3 Hour $325
4 Hour $425
8 Hour $625

Two-hour minimum - Six-person maximum
Note: 6 person limit regardless of age (U.S. Coast Guard regulation)
http://www.skimmercharters.com/

Outside Hilton Head Activities:

Outside Hilton Head's staff of boat captains, all duly licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, and interpretive naturalists will provide an experience that guests will remember for years. Outside Hilton Head specializes in providing high-quality, unique, personalized boating experiences on its fleet of Cobia deck boats and custom-designed Carolina skiffs. Both boat models are stable and comfortable. They enable resort guests to enjoy the Lowcountry waterways, with their abundant bird and dolphin populations, and the salt marsh ecosystem. For true sightseeing pleasure, many boaters like to make their way down Broad Creek to Calibogue Sound and on to the world-famous Harbour Town Lighthouse. Reservations are required.

Departing from Shelter Cove Marina. Convenient mid-island location, free parking and no gate fees. Choose from activities listed below:

Two-Hour Dolphin Tour

This dolphin tour is a wonderful opportunity to spend two hours exploring Lowcountry waterways, home to birds, dolphins, and the salt marsh ecosystem. Travel down Broad Creek and into Calibogue Sound where the distinctive Harbour Town Lighthouse awaits. The boats are stable, comfortable and small enough to get encounter wildlife in surprisingly close proximity. A trip through Calibogue Sound results in many encounters with dolphins. If time permits, the captain may throw a cast net along the banks of the marsh and to display the shrimp and small fish in their marshy habitat.

Dolphin Tours depart daily at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Cost: $45 - adults, $35 - children (12 & younger); Children under 2 ride for free

Daufuskie Island History and Artisans Excursion

This program begins with a boat ride from Hilton Head through the backcountry marshes to Daufuskie Island. Along the way you'll have great opportunities to view wild Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and other wildlife. Once on Daufiskie you will get on golf carts and take a tour of the historic and less developed side of the island stopping at all of the significant historic sites and artisans' residences with an interpretive historian on the island.

Cost: $85 per person

Beachcombing Trip

This popular tour ventures off to neighboring islands and remote shell banks. A three-hour tour, the Beachcoming Trip incorporates the Two-Hour Dolphin Tour with the added bonus of a shore excursion at a shell bank or on the beaches of legendary Daufuskie Island. Beachcombers may search for shells, sand dollars, crabs, starfish, and the occasional sharks tooth or Native American artifact.

Trips depart daily at low tide, so please call for departure times.
Cost: $65 adults, $60 children (12 & younger); Children under 2 ride for free

The Outback

Our most popular half-day tour is a 4 1/2 hour program that involves a little less than 2 hours of kayaking. This program combines a beautiful lowcountry boat tour with a great calm water paddle. The trip begins with a boat ride through the Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge and some gorgeous backwater creeks and inlets to Page Island. On Page we will board kayaks and head up a beautiful creek. Then we will return to Hilton Head Island using a different route.

Trips are Wedneday and Friday mornings from 9-1:30pm.
Cost: $85 per person

The Ultimate Lowcountry Day

The Ultimate Lowcountry Day is a completely private program customized for each individual group or family. We'll give you a menu of activities to choose from, and then customize the day just for you. Every Ultimate Lowcountry Day includes: a lot of backwater boating, all of your activities, staffing, equipment use, and snacks and refreshments. The 7-hour program also includes lunch.

This is offered in 5 or 7-hour formats:
7-hour- (also includes lunch) $680 for 1st 5 people. After 5 people each additional adult is $145 and each additional child 12 and under is $72.50.
5-hour- $480 for the 1st 5 people. After 5 people each additional adult is $95 and each additional child 12 and under is $47.50 per person.