Isle of Palms Fishing

1. 50 41st Avenue Isle of Palms, SC 29451 843.886.5000 http://nature-tours.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barrier-Island-Eco-Tours/122897724440584 https://plus.google.com/u/0/107526428024194152646/about

2. Testimonials "A special thanks to Shane Ziegler of Barrier Island Eco Tours, Isle of Palms, for sharing his invaluable insights and vast knowledge about the Lowcountry, its wildlife and ecosystem. And the tours are fabulous!" -Mary Alice Monroe, Author of The Beach House

3. Testimonials "Barrier Island Ecotours is hands down worth a trip to Charleston to experience. The sights of the salt marsh and all it has to offer is worth every penny. Where else can you experience up close and personally all the marine and terrestrial wildlife the estuaries and capers island has to offer? From dolphins, crabs, deer, alligators, abundant fish, you will have a blast being entertained by the outdoors. Every trip is a surprise because you don't know what you will encounter. If you want peace and relaxation at the same time of excitement these are the trips for you and your family and friends of any ages. Ask the naturalists and they will tell you the hot spots of where to go and what trips are best suited for your group." -Lee Sparwasser

4. Testimonials "As Charleston locals, my family has the incredible opportunity to go on a nature tour with Barrier Island Ecotours at least once a summer and often times, more! With their many options like crabbing trips, dolphin excursions, sunset cruises, etc., we always have a great time and it's never the same trip twice. The captains handle the boats with precision, and the naturalists have an incredible amount of knowledge and keep everyone entertained and laughing. And then there's the fishing charters! Our daughter LOVES fishing with Mr. Shane, and every time we've been out, she's caught enough fish to make her ask almost every day when we can go again. I highly recommend Barrier Island Ecotours for visitors and locals alike..." - Michael Schumpert

5. Scheduled Trips We offer naturalist guided boat excursions to Capers Island State Heritage Preserve, one of the last undeveloped barrier islands. Our fleet consists of: the Callinectes, a 40 passenger covered pontoon; the Sayana, a 22 passenger covered pontoon; the Marsh Mama, a 26 foot, 16 passenger Carolina Skiff; and the Cut Mullet, a 23 foot, 6 passenger bay style boat. All of our boats are available for private, customized charters as well.

6. Scheduled Trips:Capers Wild Life Exploration Enjoy a 3.5 hour boat excursion as we venture to Capers Island, one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier islands. We will cruise through winding tidal creeks to find diverse wildlife living in this salt marsh environment. Common sightings include bottlenose dolphin, osprey, pelicans, bald eagles, herons, egrets, and more. Along the way we'll employ various nets and habitat traps for an up-close look at some of the rarely seen marine creatures that thrive below the surface. As you arrive on Capers, you will have about an hour and a half to explore its pristine "Bone-yard Beach" and interior freshwater ponds. Capers provides excellent opportunities for shelling and bird watching.

7. Scheduled Trips:Dolphin Discovery Sunset Cruise Join our naturalist on a search and discovery mission on this 2.5 hour boat excursion to encounter the fascinating bottlenose dolphin and loggerhead sea turtle. Bottlenose dolphins are a common resident of our salt marshes and inlets behind the barrier islands. As you observe the dolphins feeding, playing, or simply cruising around in their native environment you will learn all about their social behavior, feeding habits, and much more. Also learn about the life history of threatened loggerhead sea turtle which we often catch sight of during the summer months. You will also have about 1 hour to get off the boat and explore Capers Island's "Bone-yard Beach".

8. Scheduled Trips:Blue Crabbing Excursion We will venture by boat to an excellent crabbing spot, teach you about the intriguing life history of the blue crab, and then catch, cook, clean and consume these tasty crustaceans. Our crab boil takes place on the beach of Capers Island. A fantastic trip for the family. This may very well be the freshest seafood you will ever eat!

9. Scheduled Trips:Creek Fishing Our experienced captain will take you to a few of his hot spots back in the salt marsh. This is fun-fishing at its best with light tackle and plenty of action. This is a perfect fishing trip for families and our guides are great with kids! Catches include redfish, trout, flounder, shark, rays, ladyfish, and more. Fresh bait, license, and all tackle provided.

10. Scheduled Trips:Marine Biology Day Camp We will take you to Capers Island where you will see, touch, and learn about the interesting creatures that live along our shores. You will have a chance to throw a cast net, crab, explore the salt marsh, spend time observing bottlenose dolphins and catch animals to put in our touch-tank. We will also grill hot dogs and enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, cookies and watermelon for lunch on the beach. Bottled waters are included.

11. Scheduled Trips:Charleston Harbor Historyand Maritime Mystery Departing from the Isle of Palms Marina, enjoy a leisurely boat cruise along the intracoastal waterway to the historic Charleston Harbor. We will cruise the tidal creeks along the back side of Sullivans Island, into the Charleston Harbor, and along the banks of Mt. Pleasant's “Old Village”. Your guide will entertain you with historic facts and accounts through stories ranging from Native Americans and the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, to past and present land owners in the area. Your Historian is also a Naturalist and time will be spent observing dolphins and discovering other wildlife. Coolers welcome.

12. Shane Ziegler Shane is originally from Atlanta and spent his summers vacationing with his family on the Isle of Palms. Pulling seine nets in the tidal creeks, crabbing, and fishing with his family in the salt marshes while they were on vacation sparked his deep interest for marine biology. Shane and his family moved to the Isle of Palms the summer before his freshman year at Wando High School. During his high school years on Isle of Palms, Shane spent the majority of his free time exploring the salt marsh, fishing, crabbing, shrimping, and roasting oysters with his friends on small hammock islands. Julie Cliff, his Marine Biology teacher at Wando, further inspired his passion in the marine world.

13. Shane Ziegler During his summer internship in 1995 while attending Clemson University, he worked in four different South Carolina State Parks including Hunting Island State Park. At Hunting Island he realized the naturalist position was exactly what he wanted to pursue as a career. After graduating Clemson with a Bachelor of Science degree in Resource Management, Shane began his career as a naturalist at Hunting Island as an assistant to Mike Walker, head naturalist at the park. Shane enjoyed working at Hunting Island for a year and a half performing sea turtle research and barrier island and salt marsh ecology programs for visitors and school groups. At the end of 1997 he left Hunting Island to pursue his own business, Barrier Island Eco Tours, with Jose Hernandez.

14. Shane Ziegler Shane now operates Barrier Island Eco Tours with his wife Morgan. They are able to run a small business and still find free time of their own for fishing, island exploring, or just relaxing on the house boat together with their dog Emma.

15. Morgan Ziegler Morgan grew up in Columbia, SC and visited the Carolina coast every year with her parents and grandparents. As a child and young adult, she was fascinated with the sea and the animals that lived in it. She loved swimming in the ocean and hunting for sharks teeth and shells with her Grandmother on the beach. Her passion for the marine world, and spending time in nature grew with her.

16. Morgan Ziegler Morgan later attended Clemson University with a major in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Morgan chose Travel and Tourism as her emphasis area in PRTM, and became very interested in the growing trend of eco tourism around the world. She decided for her summer internship to pursue eco tourism in the Charleston area, and luckily acquired an internship with Barrier Island Eco Tours the summer before graduating from Clemson. She fell in love with the business and Charleston’s coast that summer, and decided to move to the area after graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science. She continued to work with Barrier Island Eco Tours in the summers, and began a career in event and wedding planning in downtown Charleston.

17. Morgan Ziegler While working with the company, Morgan and her dog Emma, also fell in love with Barrier Island Eco Tour’s owner Shane Ziegler. Morgan and Shane are now married, live in Mt. Pleasant, and are running the business together. She enjoys spending time in the outdoors, fishing, biking, boating and being with friends and family.

18. Princess Emma Emma was a lost puppy found on Hwy. 76 in Anderson, S.C. when she was just 3 months old. By luck and fate she found a home with Morgan who was attending Clemson University at the time. Emma and Morgan did a lot of hiking to waterfalls, mountain biking and camping in the upstate. Emma was very excited to move to Charleston with Morgan after leaving Clemson, and now lives in Mt. Pleasant with her Mom and Dad. She enjoys fishing with Shane (especially sharks); running on the beach, chasing squirrels, lots of treats and belly rubs. Princess Emma is the best Dolphin Pointer around and she would love to see you on a boat trip soon!

19. Isle of Palms Fishing Trips The Best Charleston Fishing Charters We offer excellent inshore fishing opportunities year round to help you experience fishing in the Charleston at a whole new level.

20. Isle of Palms Fishing Trips The Best Charleston Fishing Charters Departing from the Isle of Palms Marina, within minutes you are in pristine salt marshes and tidal flats. The waters surrounding the Isle of Palms are one of the most productive areas along the east coast for redfish, speckled trout, flounder, shark and many others. Our salt marsh eco-system in Charleston creates a “nutrient rich soup” which provides the basis of the food chain for many species of fish. In the warmer months it is possible to catch over 10 species during one outing. All necessary tackle, licenses and supplies are provided on every trip.

21. Isle of Palms Fishing Trips Our fleet consists of a 6 passenger 23 foot bay boat, a 3 passenger flats boat for shallow water fishing targeting redfish, and a 12 passenger 27 foot Carolina Skiff for larger groups. We work closely with several of the top guides that also run out of the Isle of Palms Marina and can put together groups of 50 or more. Our captains are well experienced, patient, friendly, and have a deep passion for what they do. We cater to those who want a relaxed fishing trip with plenty of action. Our guides take extra care with kids making sure they have the best experience possible. When taking a fishing charter with Barrier Island EcoTours, you get more than just a fishing trip. Our guides are also naturalists and while catching fish, you will also gain knowledge about the dynamics of the salt marsh.

22. 50 41st Avenue Isle of Palms, SC 29451 843.886.5000 http://nature-tours.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barrier-Island-Eco-Tours/122897724440584 https://plus.google.com/u/0/107526428024194152646/about