Wildlife Watching

Nature Preserves

The Audubon-Newhall Preserve, Palmetto Bay Road (tel. 843/842-9246), is a 50-acre preserve on the south end of the island. Here you can walk along marked trails to observe wildlife in its native habitat. Guided tours are available when plants are blooming. Except for a scattered handful of public toilets, there are no amenities. The preserve is open from sunrise to sunset, and admission is free.

The second leading preserve is also on the south end of the island. Sea Pines Forest Preserve, Sea Pines Resort (tel. 843/363-4530), is a 605-acre public wilderness with marked walking trails. Nearly all the birds and animals known to live on Hilton Head can be seen here. (Yes, there are alligators, but there are also less fearsome creatures, such as egrets, herons, osprey, and white-tailed deer.) All trails lead to public picnic areas in the center of the forest. The preserve is open from sunrise to sunset year-round. Maps and toilets are available.

Hilton Head's Wonderful Wildlife

Hilton Head has preserved more of its wildlife than almost any other resort destination on the East Coast.

Hilton Head Island's alligators are a prosperous lot, and, in fact, the South Carolina Department of Wildlife and Marine Resources uses the island as a resource for repopulating state parks and preserves in which alligators' numbers have greatly diminished. The creatures represent no danger if you stay at a respectful distance.

Many of the large water birds that regularly grace the pages of nature magazines are natives of the island. The island's Audubon Society reports around 200 species of birds every year in its annual bird count, and more than 350 species have been sighted on the island during the past decade. The snowy egret, the large blue heron, and the osprey are among the most noticeable.

Other animals include deer, bobcat, otter, mink, and a few wild boars. At the Sea Pines Resort, on the southern end of the island, the planners set aside areas for a deer habitat back in the 1950s.

The loggerhead turtle, an endangered species, nests extensively along Hilton Head's 12 miles of wide, sandy beaches. Because the turtles choose the darkest hours of the night to crawl ashore and bury their eggs in the soft sand, few visitors meet these 200-pound giants.

Ever present is the bottle-nosed dolphin, usually called a porpoise by those unfamiliar with the island's sea life. The water off Port Royal Plantation, adjacent to Port Royal Sound, is a good place to meet up with the playful dolphins, as are Palmetto Dunes, Forest Beach, and all other oceanfront locations. Barring that, consider participating in either of the kayak tours as described under "Active Pursuits".

The Sea Pines Forest Preserve, the Audubon-Newhall Preserve, and the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Preserve, just off the island between the bridges, are of interest to nature lovers. The Coastal Discovery Museum (tel. 843/689-6767) hosts several guided nature tours and cruises. Tours, conducted weekdays, generally cost $12 for adults and $7 for children. Check the museum's Events Calendar online at www.coastaldiscovery.org for specific dates and times; you can even reserve your tour online in advance.