If there’s one piece of advice I could give anyone coming to Edisto Beach for vacation it is this: Have a camera ready at all times.
Use the camera on your phone or go all out and get a waterproof camera so that there’s no chance of your camera getting damaged, but make sure you bring some kind of a camera.
There were several times during my recent vacation at the beach where I wished I had the foresight to bring my camera along. Here’s a list of some of the things that could have been captured on film if I’d followed my own advice.
Dolphin Pods Everywhere
Seeing pods of dolphins in the water is nothing new for most people who visit Edisto Beach. However, there are times when these incredible animals step it up a notch and make themselves extra fascinating.
One of the most recent times I was out on the water with the family we were shocked by the amount of dolphins swimming in Big Bay Creek.
What made this encounter more special than the others was that there were three calves (babies) swimming along with their mothers. These tiny babies were jumping in and out of the water, slapping their tails against the surface, and one even played with a rather large cannonball jellyfish.
The adults weren’t about to be outdone by their younger counterparts, and they took it upon themselves to leap out of the water like they were performing at Sea World. Many times they came close enough to the boat for us to make eye contact and see their rows of perfect teeth.
Life Stages of a Horseshoe Crab
Anyone who has gone out to Otter Island knows the island has many horseshoe crab shells in the sand. Most of these shells are empty as the crabs have molted, but some of them are still alive. Of all the times I’ve ever seen a horseshoe crab, it’s always been dead or in pieces. However, this time, I saw a juvenile crab that was no bigger than the size of an adult fist.
It was incredible to be able to see one of these ancient creatures in its earliest stages.
Stormy Seas
Afternoon storms can be a regular occurrence during a hot summer day, but that’s never been enough to keep me or my family out of the water.
During one afternoon boat ride, the sky darkened rather quickly and it started to rain. There was no lightning in the area, so we didn’t take the boat in immediately. However, we did see something that was slightly more terrifying than lightning – it looked like a funnel cloud was forming in the sky.
Luckily, this funnel cloud was not a tornado; instead, it was the early stages of a waterspout.
It’s possible that this waterspout, which did not ever touch down, was a non-tornadic spout, so it wasn’t as dangerous as it could have been, but even the non-tornadic spouts can bring about winds of more than 60 mph.
We decided to get the boat back to the marina just in case the spout did touch down and fling us into oblivion. Naturally, none of us has the opportunity to capture the spout on camera.
Keep Track of your Memories
Over the years, some of the amazing sights and experiences one has during an Edisto vacation can be forgotten, so remember to always bring your camera when you’re out having fun. Luckily, I’ve had my camera many times, so I do have hundreds of pictures that perfectly capture the Edisto experience. But there have been just as many times that I have wished I had one.
So, the next time you’re in the area, remember to have some kind of camera with you, even if it’s an old disposable one. You’ll be glad you did.
