Cruising Under the Causeway

We started our morning bright and early, with a cup of coffee in hand to wake us from our sleep deprived travels from the day prior.

Knowing that we were spending the afternoon in the sun boating around St. Simon’s Island, I threw on my favorite striped tee, a pair of boating shoes and my trusty boater hat to keep the rays from my skin.

Striped Tee || Shorts (under $30)|| Sperry’s || Boater Hat (last year) similar here and here || Crossbody (vintage) similar here and here || Sunglasses (under $20) || Bracelets (c/o Allison Cole Jewelry)

After the cloudy forecast we had been given for the week we were in St. Simon’s, we were excited to awake to blue skies dotted with puffs of cloud and birds of every variety swooping in and out of the water searching for fish.
We loaded up on the boat and headed off in search of dolphins, hoping against hope that we would be able to catch a glimpse of them before they left for the afternoon in search of their lunch. As our catamaran glided along the water, the scenery changed from sleepy coastal town to neverending estuary marshlands. The water, a mixture between deep blue and gray mud, hiding it’s most treasured marine life inches from it’s surface, obscuring our view of anything that lie beneath us.
The afternoon sailed on as we wove deeper and deeper through the marshy maze that wound it’s way beneath the causeway. Our dolphin friends did not get the invitation that we would be requiring their presence for lunch, so we listened to our captain explain the importance of protecting the marshlands from erosion and pollution and how it’s vital to protect the marshes for the shrimping business which is the pulse of the island to keep it thriving.
After we passed under the causeway, we came upon the colorful shrimping boats getting prepped for the season and all I could think about was Bubba from Forrest Gump with his insatiable love for the crustaceans. Immediately prompting my stomach to growl for it’s own shrimp feast.

Men in dingy’s alongside the boats added a fresh touch of paint to their vessels, each stroke portraying his pride for his profession. The shrimping season was about to kick off before we left, so seeing all of the ships parked in harbour was like watching the hounds getting ready for a hunt. They were silently eager to get back out in the sea to bring home their bounty for the year.

As with all good things, our cruise had come to an end. Although we hadn’t seen any dolphins (as we had hoped) we got an in-depth look at St. Simon’s culture and livelihood out on the water on the Rudee Explorer. Now I’m not typically one for touristy attractions on vacation, but sometimes it’s fun to get boated around an island with a handful of other passengers ogling at the different sights along the way.