We are still anchored on Bohicket Creek on Wadmalaw Island, SC. We have been getting some boat projects done while enjoying our granddaughters. Finally, the weather improved and we were able to take the girls on a boat ride to see if we could find dolphins.
Lucy and Maggie are very good at spotting dolphins!
Don’t worry...this is not the sea-sick position, this is the dolphin watching position. The dolphins would spot (or hear) the boat and head right toward us with the clear intention of playing in our bow wave. Lucy was very accurate when she described what she saw, “Grandmom, it looks like they are body surfing”
We were all treated to a lot of oohs, ahhhs, and giggles. I am so excited that we got to share this experience with them...expectations achieved!
In addition to playing in the bow wave, the dolphins love to fish in this river. We have observed them working in pairs to round up fish and burst out of the water to grab a mouth full. The school of fish explodes out of the water in an attempt to escape, but the dolphins clearly know what they are doing. The fish really fly out of the water. Again, Keith was the patient person who captured this picture!
Keith and I were able to enjoy the Thanksgiving lunch celebration at the elementary school...yum...cafeteria food😉 Two little girls were very excited to have us there, that is all that matters! After lunch we decided to drive around the island and explore the local attractions. I had visited the Angel Tree a few years ago, and was excited to return!
The Angel Tree is a historic landmark in Charleston, SC. It’s actually located on Johns Island. It is a Southern Live Oak that is thought to be between 400-500 years old. It stands at 66.5 ft tall, has a circumference of 28 ft., and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet.
It’s this big!
Southern Live Oaks tend to grow more outward than upward, with branches going out in all directions and sometimes going into the ground before resurfacing and continuing to grow. From tip to tip it’s longest branch distance is 187 feet.
It’s hard to find one picture that does this tree justice, so you are getting one from every angle. After our visit to the Angel Tree, we took a short drive on the island and ended up at a fish hatchery.
Hmmm...do they hatch Rockfish or Sturgeon? It just so happens that we stumbled upon this site on a Thursday afternoon at 1:30, and the sign on the gate stated ‘self guided walking tours Thursdays 1:00-3:00. How lucky are we??
There was a very nice trail and boardwalk around the property, and it was a great day for a walk.
There were several sheds with large tanks inside, but they were totally enclosed with chain link fence and locking gates. However, there was one outdoor tank that contained Atlantic Sturgeon.
Very prehistoric looking, in fact it is sometimes considered a living fossil. Sturgeon were in great abundance when the first European settlers came to North America, but have since declined due to overfishing and water polution. Sturgeon can live for 60 years, and weigh over 800 lbs., because of this long lifespan they don’t reach sexual maturity for approximately 15 years. In an overfished environment, it’s hard for any fish to live for 15 years, which means they can’t reproduce. Therefore, they are considered threatened, endangered, and even locally extinct in many original habitats.
This facility is raising Sturgeon for scientific research...cool! Back to the boat, where again, the pelicans taunt me!
These pelicans were following a crab boat, hoping for a free meal. I still haven’t been able to capture the perfect picture, but I will never give up. We will be leaving here on December 2 to head for Fernandina Beach. Happy Thanksgiving!!
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