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.

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 History
and 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
Inshore Fishing Charleston SC
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
The Best Charleston Fishing Charters
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