Barrier
Island Eco Tours
50 41st Avenue
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
843.886.5000
Review from Deb B.
by Deb B.
viayelp
Amazing! Jeesen and Robert were great! They are so knowledgeable
about the area and the ecology. The trip to Capers Island is wonderful in
itself. The trip is about 3.5 hours. Be sure to take your camera. The wildlife
seen was some of the best in the area. You can bring snacks, drinks and even
adult beverages if you'd like. We have been on most of the outdoor
tours in Charleston and this had to be my favorite. Rain or shine this is a
*must do* for locals or tourists!
****
In
the winter of 1997 three high school buddies, Shane Ziegler, Jose Hernandez,
and Max Sparwasser, were roasting oysters over a cedar fire on Capers Island
when the three of them came up with the idea of forming Barrier Island Eco
Tours. The 23 year olds had spent much of their youth boating the tidal creeks
of the Charleston area fishing, shrimping, crabbing, and exploring the
undeveloped barrier islands. They felt that visitors to Charleston were missing
out on the best part of the lowcountry, its undeveloped barrier islands and
back creek salt marshes. They wanted to expose people to Capers Island and its
surrounding salt marsh ecosystem, but in an informative way so guests left with
a greater respect and appreciation of this remarkably unspoiled place.
In
the summer of 1997, after receiving permission from the SCDNR to take visitors
to Capers Island, Hernandez and Ziegler began business taking educational
nature tours to Capers on a 6 passenger boat. In 1998 they bought the
Callinectes, a Coast Guard Certified 40 passenger tour boat. Two years later they
added a 23 ft. fishing boat for inshore fishing charters. Two years after that,
a 16 passenger skiff outfitted for smaller customized eco-tours, kayaking, and
fishing excursions was added to the fleet. In 2006, Ziegler bought out
Hernandez’s share of the business and added a 22 passenger pontoon which he
leases from his head naturalist, Robert Hopkins.
Download our Brochure Here
Shane Ziegler |
Owner/Captain/Naturalist
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.
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.
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.
Morgan Ziegler | Sales
Manager/Owner
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.
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.
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.
Princess Emma, Dolphin
Pointer/Fishing Guide
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!
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.
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. 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.
Contact Information
Barrier
Island Eco-Tours
50 41st
Avenue
Isle of
Palms, SC 29451
843.886.5000
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