Nature Programs
All of our outdoor programs are weather permitting. We will meet at the Activity Center unless otherwise noted. We recommend sunscreen and bug spray for all outdoor activities. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Please call us at 843-838-1516 with questions, to check program availability and time, or to reserve a spot. Prices shown are Guest prices.
These new programs will be offered May through August only. Call the Activity Center or check our social media pages for more information about our new nature programs that we’re trying out this summer. Some examples of programs will be be testing this summer include "Nature Golf Cart Scavenger Hunt", “Night Frog Walk", “Pollinator Program”, and more.




Nature Programs at Fripp Island
Come check out some of our nature programs! Possible future programs include:
- Critters and Cabernet
- Edible Plants and Fungi
- Flowering Plants
- Alligator Programs & Identification Surveys
Programs vary by season. Call the Activity Center at 843-838-1516 to learn more info about these and our other programs!
Want To Experience Fripp Island to the Fullest?
Click through the tabs below to discover more programs!
Fripp is Certified Wildlife Habitat and an Audubon Important Area. A variety of birds use our beaches, maritime forests, golf courses, ponds, and marshes. This walking tour will depart from the Activity Center and we will search for wading birds, shore birds, and woodland species. Beginners to expert birders are welcome!
- $12 per person, 1 hour
- Scheduled year round
- Meet at Activity Center
Ever wanted to explore that mysterious island across from Wardle’s landing? The only way to get there safely is by boat… join us for a quick canoe trip across Skull Inlet and walk the beach of this abandoned, uninhabited island. Some of the best shells can be found here!
- $50, 2 hours
- Scheduled year round, but dependent on weather.
- Reservation required at least a day in advance
Come learn all about the east coast’s coolest crustacean, the blue crab! Learn the life cycle and ecological importance of these edible crabs as we bait our baskets and wait for them to fall into our trap. We will teach you how to handle them and anything else we might catch! Additionally, we will explore the marsh and try to catch some fiddler crabs. This program is catch and release only. Please wear shoes you don't mind getting dirty.
- $18 per person, 1 hour
- March through September only
- Meet at the Activity Center
Reserve a spot on our weekly dolphin kayaking program to learn all there is to know about dolphins! Our naturalists will teach you about our dolphin fin ID research project, dolphin feeding habits, movements, calves, etc. We will take you to all of the areas where we commonly see dolphins and teach you how to be a dolphin biologist and researcher. Make sure to bring your DSLR/GoPro cameras if you have them and weather appropriate clothes for being out on the water.
- Single $45
- Tandem $70
- Meet atthe Marina boat ramp; reservations required
Be sure to stop by the Activity Center on Fridays to see all of our resident animals get fed! You will get to see all of our snakes, turtles, and alligators eat as well as learn about their diets, feeding habits, and how their bodies are designed to eat the way they do
- FREE, 1 hour
- Year Round
- Meet at the Activity Center
Join our naturalists on the beach to discover what’s under the waves! During the first portion of the program we’ll pull our seining net through the water and show you the many species that swim off our shore, as well as teach you how to use a cast net. If you want to try it out, plan on getting wet! The second part of this program will teach you how to fish using our saltwater fishing poles as well as some tips and tricks for catching some popular local species. This program is catch and release only.
- $12/person, 1 hour
- March through August only
- Reservations required! Meet us at the end of Tarpon.
Fripp Island is home to a ton of alligators! First we’ll introduce you to our baby alligators, Savannah and Veranda. Then our naturalists will take you looking for these prehistoric predators in some of Fripp’s golf course ponds. As we watch for gators you’ll learn all about Fripp’s most awesome predator.
- $12 per person, 1 hour.
- Scheduled year round, but dependent on weather.
- Meet at the Activity Center
Do your little ones love animals, nature, and spending time in the outdoors? Join us for our new junior naturalist program and spend the afternoon shadowing our naturalists. Each day of the week, we will have a different theme: Keeper Day, Research Day, Ocean Day, Marsh Day, and Reptile/Amphibian Day. If your 7-12 year old completes all of the junior naturalist programs, they will receive an official Fripp Island Junior Naturalist certificate.
- $45/child, 2 hours
- Summer Only
- Meet at Activity Center
- Reservations required
The best way to experience the winding tidal creeks behind Fripp is by kayak. Share a tandem kayak with a buddy or paddle yourself in a single. On this guided two hour tour we will watch for eagles and ospreys soaring overhead, fiddler crabs and clapper rails walking the mud flats, dolphins splashing on the shore line and so much more! Please call ahead to reserve your spot. Tour departs from the Marina boat ramp.
- Single Kayak $45
- Tandem Kayak $70
- Reservations required by closing time the day before the program
Make sure to drop in for our Meet the Animals program during your stay! Each day, our naturalists have a new animal out for you to interact with and ask questions about. Be sure to get a photo-op with your favorite animal!
- FREE, 1 hour
- Scheduled year round
- Meet at the Activity Center
Join our naturalists for a once-a-month guided tour under the full moon. This is a truly unique way to experience the sights and sounds of the tidal creeks after the sun goes down. Please call ahead to reserve your spot. Tour is 2 hours and will depart from the Marina boat ramp.
- Single Kayak $50
- Tandem Kayak $75
- Reservations required by closing time the day before the program
Come aboard the Fripper II with one of our naturalists for a pontoon boat tour of the tidal creeks and islands around Fripp. Hear stories of pirates 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!
- Adults $40 per person, 3 hours
- March through August
- Reservations required by closing time the day before the program
Our classic golf cart scavenger hunt program with a nature twist! Our clues will take you on your own wildlife and plant tour of the island and teach you about some of the interesting things you will find along the way
- $12 per team, 1 hour
- May through August
Join our naturalists on the search for Fripp's animal night life. We will primarily be looking for frogs & toads, but we often see bats, spiders, and insects or hear some owls calling. We may even be able to spot alligators and deer. We will teach you about all the different kinds of amphibians you can find in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as well as introduce you to how we conduct research for our AZA-based citizen science project FrogWatch. Some flashlights are provided, but you are welcome to bring your own.
- $12 per person, 1 hour
- March through October only
- Reservations required by closing time the day before the program
- Closed-toed shoes are required
Fripp Island is an important migration stop for many famous pollinators. Stop by for our 30 minute guided tour of our new native plant garden and learn all about birds, bees, and butterflies. We will teach you how to identify the creatures we see, the plants that attract them, and how you can help pollinators at home.
- $5/person
- Meet at Activity Center
- Summer only
Catch our naturalists at various locations around the island with some of our animals! You may get to see Earl the box turtle at the Beach Club or Olaf the corn snake at Excursions.
- FREE
- Year Round
- Meet us at the specified location on the schedule/social media
If you’re a budding herpetologist (a person who studies reptiles and amphibians) this is the program for you! Get familiar with some of the Activity Center’s resident reptiles before we head out to find some wild critters. We will discuss habitats, diets, anatomy, and more. We will check our humane traps for snakes, turtles, lizards, etc. We may even get to spot an alligator or two. Closed-toed shoes are required.
- $12 per person, 1 hour
- March through September only
- Closed-toes shoes are required
The marsh is arguably the best place around Fripp to watch the sunset. On this guided tour we will look for and discus the plants and many animals of the salt marsh. Enjoy the peace and serenity of the tidal creeks and watch the colors of the sky and water change. Make sure you bring a camera and a way to keep it dry!
- Single Kayak $50, 2 hours
- Tandem Kayak $75, 2 hours
- Departs from Marina boat ramp
- Call ahead to reserve your spot
Join our naturalists for an evening beach walk under the stars to try and catch a glimpse of a nesting sea turtle or hatchlings leaving the nest! You will learn about how to safely view sea turtles at night, red lights, and how you can help protect our state reptile.
- $12 per person, 1 hour
- May through September (or when last nest hatches)
Fripp Island’s beach is an important nesting area for endangered sea turtles. Every summer mama 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 nests and to learn everything there is about our awesome sea turtles!
- $12 per person, 1 hour
- May through September only (or when last nest hatches)