Morris Island Boat Tours & Lighthouse Adventures** – Charleston, SC


**These are unguided excursions.  Private tour guides available for a fee.
Looking for a Morris Island boat tour in Charleston, SC that’s more than just a quick sightseeing cruise? Our 4-hour Morris Island trips from Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant blend everything people love about the Lowcountry into one unforgettable experience: dolphins, shells, shark teeth, a remote beach, and iconic views of the Morris Island Lighthouse – all with a local captain who knows these waters like home.
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Closeup of a black shark tooth in wet sand surrounded by shells on a Charleston sandbar beach

Why Morris Island Is Charleston’s “Shark Tooth Island”
 

Morris Island is an uninhabited barrier island at the mouth of Charleston Harbor, famous for its wide, uncrowded beaches and incredible shell and shark tooth hunting. Travel writers and fossil-hunting blogs routinely call it one of the best spots in South Carolina for finding shark teeth and marine fossils, with visitors reporting everything from small teeth to megalodon fragments.

Because it’s only accessible by boat, most visitors never get to experience it on their own. That’s where we come in.
On every Morris Island trip we:
  • Ride through quiet tidal creeks and marshes on the way out.
  • Watch for bottlenose dolphins and seabirds feeding along the sandbars.
  • Land on a remote stretch of beach where you can explore, relax, and hunt for treasures at your own pace.

Morris Island Boat Tours from Shem Creek – What’s Included

Driftwood-strewn beach on Morris Island with the Morris Island Lighthouse in the distance near Charleston, South Carolina
Scenic Boat Ride Through Shem Creek & Charleston Harbor

Your adventure starts on Shem Creek, surrounded by shrimp boats, pelicans, and one of the best water views in Mount Pleasant. From there we cruise through the marsh and into the harbor, with photo-worthy views of:

  • The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
  • The Charleston peninsula skyline
  • Historic Fort Sumter in the distance 
     
Along the way, your captain shares local stories about the harbor, wildlife, and barrier islands that make this part of the Lowcountry so special.
 

Beach Time on Morris Island – Shells, Shark Teeth & Swimming

Once we land on Morris Island, you’ll step off into a world that feels completely removed from downtown Charleston:
  • Search the high tide line for shark teeth, fossils, and shells
  • Walk the shoreline, explore tide pools, or just spread out a towel and relax
  • On warmer days and safe tide conditions, you can wade or swim in the shallow surf
     
We’ll show beginners how to spot shark teeth and where to focus for the best chance of finding them. (No digging or metal detectors – just ethical fossil collecting from the surface, following SCDNR guidelines.)
 

Iconic Views of the Morris Island Lighthouse

Just offshore stands the Morris Island Lighthouse, a 19th-century brick tower rising straight out of the water. It’s one of the most photographed landmarks in Charleston, and Morris Island gives you the best angles for lighthouse photos at sunrise, mid-day, or sunset.
We’ll position the boat and suggest a few favorite photo spots on the beach, so everyone goes home with frame-worthy shots.

Dolphins, Birds & Lowcountry Wildlife
Morris Island sits along rich tidal creeks and inlets where:
  • Bottlenose dolphins are frequently spotted feeding and playing. 
  • Brown pelicans, terns, gulls, and shorebirds work the shoreline.
  • Oyster beds and marsh grass provide classic Lowcountry scenery in every direction.

This isn’t just a beach drop – it’s a laid-back eco-boat tour wrapped around a beach day.

Your adventure starts on Shem Creek, surrounded by shrimp boats, pelicans, and one of the best water views in Mount Pleasant. From there we cruise through the marsh and into the harbor, with photo-worthy views of:

Choose Your Morris Island Adventure

4-Hour Beach Day & Sunset Option
Want more time to wander, dig through shell piles, or just sit with a cooler and enjoy the view? 
  • Everything in the 4-hour tour, plus extended island time
  • Slower pace for serious fossil hunters and photographers
  • Optional sunset timing, with golden-hour lighthouse views and a sunset ride back through the harbor
 
Ideal for: couples, small groups, or anyone who wants a slower, more immersive Lowcountry experience.

Custom Morris Island Trips for Families, Groups & Celebrations
Because we’re a small, local company, we can adapt Morris Island trips to match what your group wants:
  • Birthday parties or celebrations on the beach
  • Combo trips: dolphins + shark teeth + a sunset cruise
  • Family photo sessions or engagement photos with the lighthouse backdrop
  • Add-on options like inshore fishing before/after Morris Island (tide and schedule dependent)

Private Tour Guides are available upon request.  Our knowledgeable guides will walk around the island with you to help find and identify teeth, fossils and shells.  Each party will receive a tooth guide to help identify the species.  Guides are $200 per party, please call us for availability.

Tell us what you’re envisioning when you book, and we’ll help build a custom Morris Island itinerary around your time window and the tides.
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Morris Island vs. Crab Bank –
New Rules & Better Fossil Hunting Options

If you’ve been on one of our Crab Bank shark tooth tours in the past, you may have heard about new rules from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR):
  • Metal detecting, digging, and excavation at Crab Bank are now prohibited and being actively enforced. 
  • As of January 1, 2026, enforcement also covers the collection or damage of fossils, with penalties tied to S.C. wildlife protection laws. 
  • Crab Bank is a seabird sanctuary with seasonal closures (traditionally March 15–October 15, now extended into November for nesting protection). 
     
Because of these changes, Crab Bank is now primarily a bird-watching and viewing-from-the-boat destination. It’s no longer appropriate for active fossil or shark tooth hunting.

Morris Island is the natural upgrade:
  • Still accessible by boat for shelling and surface shark tooth hunting
  • Known locally as one of the best “shark tooth islands” in South Carolina ]
  • Offers a wider, more walkable beach and a better overall “beach day” experience
 

What to Bring for Your Morris Island Boat Tour

Use this as a simple checklist section:
- Comfortable sandals or water shoes
- Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottles (and drinks/snacks – BYOB where legal)
- Beach towel or lightweight chair
- A small bag or container for shells and shark teeth
- Weather-appropriate layers (light jacket in cooler months)
 
We’ll provide the boat, safety gear, local knowledge, and a great playlist – you bring the curiosity.
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