Nature Programs

Birding

Discovery After Dark

Dock Discovery

birding

Are you an avid birder? New to the hobby? All experience level of birders are invited to join our naturalists on our guided birding tour! This morning program will take you to some of the best birding spots on Fripp with the potential to see 40+ species depending on the time of year!

- Offered Sundays and Tuesdays from 8 AM - 9 AM

- Reservations not required; online booking encouraged

- Meet at the Nature Center

- Booking Notes: Please be prepared for an hour's walking tour on flat paved and unpaved roads. If you have binoculars, please bring them as we have limited quantities.

New! Discover the magic of island life after dark when you join a Naturalist in exploring a different side of Fripp! Expect to learn about nocturnal animals, stars, and more during this brand-new nature program! Excellent for all ages and tailored to fit each group’s interests! This is a separate program from our Summer Sea-Turtle Walks.

- Offered Thursdays from 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM

- Reservations are Required, online booking is encouraged

- Meet at the Nature Center

- Booking Notes: No flashlights please, this program is best experienced in the dark!

New for 2024!

Have the kids join our naturalists on the floating docks at the Fripp Island Marina to discover the wonderfully weird organisms of the world below! This drop-off program allows parents to grab a beverage from Paddle Shack or Marina, relax, and watch their children explore! All ages and parents are welcome as we practice "Belly" biology to catch marine invertebrates, throw cast nets, and more!
Offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4-5 PM at Paddle Shack/Peg Legs

Feeding Frenzy

Gatorology

Witness our feeding frenzy every Friday at 12 PM in the Nature Center! Our reptilian ambassadors typically only eat once a week or once every other week. They’re as excited it's Friday as you are!

- Offered Fridays at 12 PM

- Reservations not required/accepted

- Takes place in the Nature Center

- Program Notes: Please understand that we feed frozen mice/rats to live animals and some viewer discretion is advised.

Gators! Gators! Gators! Fripp Island is home to many of these impressive reptiles, including our resident alligators at the Nature Center! Come learn about these incredible creatures with exclusive access to viewing areas and meet and greet with our alligator ambassadors!

- Offered Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

- Reservations are not required, but online booking is encouraged

- Meet at the Nature Center

- Booking Notes: We caravan in golf carts to offsite locations to see wild alligators. Be prepared to walk a short distance on paved roads.

Marsh Kayaking Tours

Meet the Animals

fripp-island

Kayaking through the marsh is the ultimate Fripp adventure with the chance to see dolphins, terrapins, birds, and more! Led by a skilled naturalist, learn all about the unique salt marshes surrounding Fripp and the intricate ways they are connected to everything in the Lowcountry!

▪ Marsh Kayaking is offered Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 PM - 8 PM

▪ Weather Permitting- If the temperature is 50 or below, windspeeds are greater than 10 knots, or lightning is within 10 miles/will get within 10 miles.

▪ Cancelling Kayaking trips is entirely up to the discretion of the Head Naturalist for staff and guest safety

▪ Reservations Required, and online booking encouraged

▪ Meet at the Marina Boat Launch 10-15minutes prior to departure

▪ Booking Notes: This is a mildly strenuous 2-hour program, and we recommend participants wear water shoes, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, sun protective clothing, and bring water. Naturalists will have a dry bag for phones, wallets, keys, etc.

turtle

Come meet all our ambassador animals at the Nature Center! Every day at 12pm we bring out a different ambassador for guests to interact with and learn about!

- Offered every day at 12pm

- Reservations not required/accepted

- Free

- Takes place in the Nature Center

- Program Notes: This is a touch only event, for the safety of the animals and fairness of this free program we do not allow anyone to hold animals.

Beach Fishing

Crabbing and Seining

Morning Sea Turtle Walks

Night Sea Turtle Walks

Nature Cruise

Always wanted to learn how to fish? Been fishing your whole life but don't want the hassle of prepping equipment and bait? Join us for our New Beach Fishing Program! This program teaches participants how to use a spinning fishing rod and reel to fish off the beach, learn the best times to fish, how to set up their tackle, the species they can catch, and proper release techniques.
Tuesdays 10 AM-11:30 AM at Beach Access #21
For this program, please bring your guest or member card, shoes you don't mind getting wet, a hat, a water bottle, sunscreen, and bug spray! There is no shade on the beach!

Curious about how to set a crab pot? Ever wanted an up-close look at a blue crab or the small fish in the waves at the beach? Our Crabbing and seining program will get you hands-on with different crab species, shrimp, fish, and anything else we can catch!
Mondays & Wednesdays, 1-2 PM at Nature Center with travel to Beach Access #21 (Golf Cart Parking)
Children under 15 require an adult to be present with them. We will be getting waist-deep into the ocean, please wear appropriate attire.

Fripp Island’s beach is an important nesting area for endangered sea turtles. Every summer female loggerhead sea turtles crawl onto our beach at night and lay hundreds of eggs. Join our naturalists for a morning beach walk to check out some of the laid nests and to learn everything there is about our awesome sea turtles!
Wednesdays & Thursdays 8 AM - 9 AM at the Nature Center

Be prepared to walk on the beach. Sea turtle sightings are not guaranteed!

Come aboard the Fripper II with our skilled naturalists for a pontoon boat tour of the tidal creeks and islands around Fripp! Hear stories of how these islands came to be and learn about the creatures of the marsh. We will stop to beach comb at Bull Point on Caper’s Island, so bring along a re-useable bag for the shells you find and learn about!
Wednesdays 9 AM - 12 PM, at the Marina Paddle Shack
This is a three-hour outing, please plan to bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and something to carry shells in!

Want To Experience Fripp Island to the Fullest?

Summer Nature Programs

Top Things to Do on Fripp Island