Charleston Kayak Tour: Wildlife and History

Embark on a thrilling wildlife kayak tour of Charleston’s Shem Creek. Discover native animals, learn local history, and paddle through oyster-lined marshes. Book your adventure now!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Coastal Expeditions on Shem Creek - 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.
What's Included
  • Professional Guide with kayak, life guard & first aid certifications
  • Kayaking Gear (Sea Kayak, Paddle, Personal Flotation Device)
  • 2-Hour Guided Kayak Eco Tour
  • Dry Bag (to keep phone & personal belongings from getting wet)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on a guided kayak journey into the heart of Charleston’s renowned tidal creek. Launching from our exclusive dock on Shem Creek, glide past shrimp boats and oyster beds into serene saltmarshes teeming with wildlife. Watch for bottlenose dolphins surfacing nearby, pelicans diving for fish, and elegant egrets hunting along the shores. During the…

Location
514 Mill St
Mill Street
Coastal Expeditions is located at the end of Mill Street on the left. Parking is available in the private lot. If the lot is full, public parking is available on Mill or Scott Streets. Check in upstairs in the Coastal Expeditions office.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(414 Ratings)
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Pelyab
Dec 16, 2025
Incredible fossil hunting on Morris Island - Absolutely incredible experience hunting for fossils on Morris Island with Coastal Expeditions. Jackie was incredible and her ability to pick out fossils in the sand seemed like a superpower. I can't wait to go back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Philippa_a
Dec 1, 2025
Shem Creek Is Magical! - Morgan was a lovely tour guide! Had a great day on the water with our family-everyone had a great time!
Review provided by Viator
Shanepw7636mx
Nov 29, 2025
10/10, Amazing tour - Phenomenal experience with my wife. Very relaxing and informative. Colleen was amazing and extremely down to earth with a ton of knowledge of the area & ecosystem. We will 100% be returning!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leon
Nov 26, 2025
Relaxing, romantic and fun - We had a great experience kayaking through the harbor and into the marsh lands. Our guide Heidi was super friendly and very knowledgeable about the area and the animals, she loved telling and explaining to us what we were seeing. I found it very relaxing and a great experience. I would recommend it. Leon & Jena
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stevekb2488yl
Nov 11, 2025
Sunset kayak adventure - A wonderful evening with Bo! Abby had us we could handle the tour - it was 49 degrees!! Her medical latex glove trick worked. Bo was incredibly knowledgeable of the shorebirds, marshes, tides, and history of the area. A very passionate man that obviously loves his job, but more so, the ecological mission of Coastal Expeditions. Don’t hesitate…just Go!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
923terezap
Nov 10, 2025
Great kayak trip - We had a great kayaking trip on Sunday, Nov 9. The weather was warm and beautiful. The crew gave us detailed instructions before getting in the Shem creek on our kayaks. The trip was planned to make it easier to go against the tide while we were full of energy and excitement and down at the end. Jackie was a very knowledgeable and fun guide. She gave us tips on how to navigate a couple of turns with swirling along the way and was paying attention to everyone, making sure we are safe. We will be back
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lunalovegoodpotter
Nov 9, 2025
Beautiful sunset kayak tour - We had an awesome sunset kayak tour with Jackie. She’s very knowledgeable and a great historian. We learned a lot during the tour. The sunset was beautiful with views of the downtown skyline. We have done other tours with this company in the past and always have great experiences. We look forward to our next tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nycbk14
Nov 9, 2025
Lovely creek afternoon - We had a wonderful afternoon kayaking up the creek. The outfitter was super professional annd everything went like clockwork. Our guide Jackie was terrific- very knowledgeable with years of experience. I even learned proper kayaking paddling. We saw lots of birds including egrets, pelicans and a bald eagle. Overall just a great experience in the water Plus drinks at the crab house right on the water next door before our flight- what could be better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E7905tzcathya
Nov 1, 2025
Excellent tour guide/excellent company! - Madison did an expert job with our tour-she is so knowledgeable and was super helpful with our kayaking skills! Coastal Expeditions also does a veterans program we are so impressed with. Happy to support a company that helps others.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ambyerly1
Nov 1, 2025
Great kayak experience! - My husband and I were fortunate to be the only ones on the kayak tour. The weather was perfect and we had a great experience. We learned a lot about the area and some some amazing wildlife including a dolphin and green sea turtle! Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $55
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).