Pritchards Island
Amazing Uninhabited Island
Pritchards Island is just southwest of Fripp and is only accessible by boat. This uninhabited island is owned by the University of South Carolina which conducts research on the island and welcomes daily visitors who enjoy strolling along the beaches and enjoying the barrier island's wildlife and tranquility.
Atlanta businessman Philip Rhodes donated the 1,600 acre island to the University of South Carolina in 1983 with the condition it not be developed commercially but rather used for coastal research. Students would stay in the "old stilt house", the Rhodes Research Center, while studying the ecosystems on the island and managing the preservation of the loggerhead sea turtles that nest on the island. The island is still managed by USCB and is used for education, conservation and research purposes by the University, other state institutions, and the general public.
In October of 2022, the abandoned research lab was removed, section by section, and hauled off on a barge.
For several years, the Beaufort County Arts Council collaborated with USCB to hold an annual artist retreat on Pritchards. Each artist was required to provide a piece of art that became the Pritchards Island Collection.
That collection now hangs in the library at the Hilton Head Gateway campus. (Source: Island Packet 2015)
If you're looking for an adventure, visit Pritchards by kayak or canoe. The Fripp Island Resort offers guided canoe trips that launch off the beach behind the Cabana Club. It's a great way to safely navigate the swift current that runs through Skull Inlet and learn more about the barrier islands. Contact the Activity Center for more information and reservations.
If you're ready to head out on your own, you can check tides and head over in your kayak or canoe. Single and tandem kayaks are also available to rent at Island Excursions. Once you get to Pritchards, you'll enjoy the peace and quiet of the island while strolling, shelling and exploring.
One of Beaufort County's most nested beaches, Pritchards Island is host to Loggerhead Sea Turtles between May and October. A group of dedicated volunteers patrol the island during nesting season to protect, mark and even relocate nests when necessary. Learn more about loggerheads - they're truly amazing!
Pritchards Island is host to both shorebirds and seabirds throughout most of the year - in the summer for nesting, and as a rest and refuel layover during their epic spring and fall migrations.
Nests are laid in shallow scrapes in the sand that blend in very well to their surroundings. While raising their young in the summer, it is imperative that adult birds keep eggs and chicks shaded to prevent predation and overheating in the summer sun, like the Least Tern is doing in this photo.
With North American shorebird and seabird populations in steep decline from habitat loss, predation and human disturbance, every piece of natural habitat remaining is critical for their survival. Help us protect these birds while enjoying the beach by keeping these actions in mind:
- Walk around flocks of birds, not through them, so they can rest and feed
- Respect signage on the beach indicating where birds are nesting and/or resting
- Leash your dog near birds, because even friendly dogs look like predators to them
There's lots to learn about birds in the Lowcountry - there are hundreds of different species to be found. Thank you for helping to protect our local wildlife!
"Yeah, I coulda had a six-pack if my gym hadna been closed all spring."
Seals seem quite comfortable in their skin as they lounge, loll, sprawl, and sunbathe on sand bars.
Seals owe their plump profiles to blubber, which can be several inches thick and is critical to their survival. Proteins and fats stored in blubber sustain the seals during times when they can`t hunt for food. It also provides insulation, keeping them warm in the icy North Atlantic, and it helps seals stay buoyant. Seals haul out on sandbars to rest and get warm between feeding periods.
While seals may appear clumsy on land, they`re agile in the water, where they bottle, cruise, dive acrobatically, and can accelerate to more than 10 mph to evade a predator.
Please #RecreateResponsibly by watching seals from at least 150 feet away (4 bus lengths). For your safety, don`t boop or swim with seals. If you`d like to learn more about seals, visit the Center for Coastal Studies pop-up info tent at Head of the Meadow and Race Point beaches this summer.
Image taken with telephoto lens from appropriate viewing distance. #sharetheshore #seals
Massive flight of cormorants loitering on Bodie Island spit.
#FindYourPark #ShareTheShore
A Fling of Sandpipers! Don`t forget to #sharetheshore if you go to the beach this holiday weekend. Tiny birds the size of cotton balls may be nesting/foraging where you lay your blanket or set off fireworks. Look at signage, stay away from conservation areas, and have fun! 🌊
Seal pup season has arrived in Washington! World Vets and network partners are helping this pup that was found abandoned on the Washington coast. Please remember to share the shore and give pups and moms the space they need. If you are on the west coast and see an injured or stranded marine mammal, please call 1-866-767-6114. 🌊 .
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#seal #sealpup #stateofwashington #worldvets #animalsofinstagram #sharetheshore #coast #pup #planetearth #ocean #oceanhealth #pacificnorthwest #marine #marinelife #marinemammals #marinehealth #onehealth #gigharbor
It`s #worldshorebirdsday, I took this photo the other day to show a #sharetheshore situation. This group of Sandpipers rests on the beach,while busy beachgoers hustle and bustle in the background. In a lot of locations there is a struggle to provide shorebirds with enough space on beaches for people and birds. The thing is with a little self awareness of your surroundings you can share the shore with them equally, they need all the help they can get. Shorebirds are facing shrinking habitats, pollution, and the effects of climate changes on a daily basis. audubonsociety
Male Magnificent Frigatebird looking for some love ❤️. *
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#nature #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #birdphotography #birdwatching #canonphotography #induropushfurther #Getoutside #Optoutside #elite_owls #wildlifeconservation #womanphotographer #travelphotography #hiking #birdinginflorida #seabird #frigatebird magnificentfrigatebird #sharetheshore #audubonsociety #nanpapix #bird_brilliance #best_birds_of_ig #allmightybirds #wildlifeonearth #floridaparks #bestbirdshots #nuts_about_birds
It is shorebird nesting season! Shorebird nests are laid directly on the ground, which means they blend in with the surrounding area and can be hard to see.
Reminders for shorebird season:
•Keep your distance from posted areas
•Be aware of your surroundings
•Keep your dog on a leash
#sharetheshore #shorebirds #bhiconservancy
The piping plovers have returned to Maine! Don`t forget to keep pets off the beach and share the shore! 💙🌊
This is May`s patreon sticker! You have a few days left to join to get this little friend
#plover #sharetheshore
• #ShareTheShore • this Piping Plover chick, pictured at 4 days old, is beating the odds. Its three siblings were taken by predators within a few days, but this little one has become adept at avoiding the plentiful ghost crabs that tip toe on their claws across the beach hoping to steal prey into their sandy tunnels. It responds to alarm calls from its parents, freezing and flattening to the ground, as an e-bike races across the beach at low tide. The fuzzy chick, smaller than a surf clam, remains motionless as the fat tires speed by just feet away from leaving the parents chick-less. Overhead, gulls and crows listen for the plover calls and search for flightless prey. On a busy weekend beach day, the chick navigates beach chairs, walkers and unleashed dogs, as it makes its way to the intertidal zone to eat. It’s not easy being a plover.
Just a few days old, a plover chick explores the world
I carved out one night in New York to go shore birding, and ended up walking the beach for miles, getting to know the birds that call it home… already in pure bliss when I caught a glimpse of this one. An early hatch. Scurrying along, starting its life with enthusiasm.
The tiniest fluff I’ve ever seen..truly teeny. The heart simply cannot get warmer ..
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#sharetheshore #nycplovers #plover #nycbirds #birdsmatter
