Hilton Head Waters Archives

Hilton Head is full of things to do outdoors. Beautiful beaches, bike trails, golf courses and boat rides are all major reasons why it’s such a popular tourist destination. But there are some days the weather doesn’t quite work out the way we’d like. What do to on Hilton Head when it rains?

Don’t let it spoil your trip! There are plenty of things to do even when the weather runs foul. Here are a few ideas.

Educational Outings

The Beaufort County Library has a Hilton Head location on the north side of the island. Nothing beats curling up with a good book on a rainy day! The spacious building houses a children’s storytelling area, cozy South Carolina Reading Room, and the popular Friends of the Library Bookstore. Residents and vacationers alike are welcome to come see what they have to offer. Open year round, closed on Sundays.

If you have little ones that need to keep their hands and minds busy on Hilton Head when it rains, you should head over to The Sandbox, an Interactive Children’s Museum. Let the imaginations fly in the children’s flight simulator, find their inner Picassso in the Rhythm and Hues art room, or become one with nature in the Loggerhead Sandcastle room. Hours of entertainment are here, right near Coligny Beach.

Spend some time exploring the history of the island at the Coastal Discovery Museum. While a good portion of the museum’s exhibits are outdoors, there are some amazing indoor exhibits that include the geological and historical development of the island. Check out some of the live animals in the Discovery Lab or immerse yourself in the local culture with one of the many rotating exhibits that focus on art, history and environment. Kids can get an opportunity to meet Myrtle the Turtle, a diamondback terrapin that resides in the Kid Zone! Located in Honey Horn on the north side of the island, the CDM is a must visit rain or shine.

Indoor Adventures

Ever done battle with robots? Gone hang gliding over an island? Maybe you want to create a magical beast for a pet? If you’re looking for a little excitement in your afternoon on Hilton Head when it rains, check out Atomic VR HHI, the only virtual reality arcade on the island. With over 30 games to choose from, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Located near the airport, sessions range from 40 to 130 minutes and are suitable for ages 6 and up.

If you enjoy solving puzzles, head on over to the Hilton Head Escape Room. You’ll have an hour to work on this interactive adventure as your team is locked in a themed room. You’ll work together following evidence and discover clues in order for you to find the way out! Located near Coligny, you could easily find yourself spending the whole afternoon trying the various themed rooms.

Have a Beverage and Relax

Another great way to spend a wet couple of hours is to spend it at Park Plaza Cinema. A family owned, dog friendly (under 20lbs) movie theater, Park Plaza offers several films, comfortable seats, and an extensive food and drink selection. Showtimes and listings vary at this south located cinema, off Greenwood Drive near the Harris Teeter shopping center.

Annabelle in popcorn at Park Plaza Cinemas

If it’s just adults in the group you can visit 3 spots of locally made beer, wine and spirits. Hilton Head Brewing Company, Hilton Head Distillery and the Island Winery are all located on the same street on Cardinal Road. Offering group tours and tasting, the Distillery gives you an in depth look at what it takes to make premium hand-crafted spirits, walking you through the entire process. Get a taste and a bite at the island’s first brew pub or get a flight of small batch wines at the Winery. 21 and over.

If the rain carries on into the evening, head on over to the Comedy Magic Cabaret. Known as fun, family oriented entertainment, the Cabaret has been keeping smiles on faces for almost 10 years. Friday nights is their wildly popular comedy game show “BONK” that’s as much fun to watch as it is to play. Centrally located on William Hilton Parkway, reservations are required.

Dolphins are already wet!

One of the great things about Hilton Head is the weather. While it may rain, it doesn’t usually rain all day. It often comes in small cells and doesn’t last too long. If it’s a little rain, we’ll still go out on the water to look for dolphins. Believe it or not, dolphins don’t mind getting wet! Give us a call to see what the day looks like!

These are just a few ideas of what to do while you’re waiting for the sun to come back out. There are countless more options on Hilton Head when it rains and its surrounding area you can find. Hopefully the weather cooperates with your vacation, but don’t let a little rain put a damper on your plans to explore.

From dirty pluff mud comes clean water

*While not clear, manatees don’t mind the opaqueness of Broad Creek during the summers*

Pluff mud is a goopy mixture of soil, dead animal and plant matter. The majority of that dead plant matter is the spartina grass that lines our salt marsh. Pluff mud packs down densely and doesn’t allow oxygen to permeate below a few inches of the surface. Any type of bacteria that survives in the mud has to create its own oxygen and you can actually smell this chemical reaction at work. As the bacteria create oxygen, they emit a by-product into the air, hydrogen sulfide, giving it a distinct aroma. Many people are convinced its smells like rotten eggs.

The pluff mud lines the bottom of our tidal creeks and its top layer is constantly moving with the strong currents we have here around the island. This primordial soup of nutrients is continually being kicked up and swirled about, never quite getting a chance to settle. As the current moves at its maximum speed churning up the mud, our waters turn a very ruddy brown coloration. This is the predominate color over winter as cool temperatures control the growth of microorganisms.

The Phytoplankton Cometh

Inside the pluff mud is a large amount of decayed animal and plant matter. This organic material is called detritus. Detritus breaks down in the salt water and allows microscopic algae known as phytoplankton to feed. These guys are tiny. We’re talking a fraction of a millimeter in length. As the phytoplankton eat the detritus, they release oxygen into the water. Warm temperatures and increased sunlight contribute to their growth. During the hot summer months the amount of phytoplankton increases and, while you can’t see them individually, you can see the effects of the colony. A large phytoplankton bloom will turn the water a greenish color.

Clean Water via the Food Web

*plenty of food to go around during the warm summer months*

Is all this algae bad? While some areas of the country face environmental catastrophes due to algae blooms, we don’t have that problem here. There’s a delicate balance to maintain and the salt marsh does an amazing job of regulating this by creating a food web. The algae that feeds off the detritus in turn becomes food for our oyster beds. Oysters are constantly filtering the waters here, collecting phytoplankton, other algae and bacteria and pushing out clean sea water.

Other organisms that eat phytoplankton, include zooplankton. Grass shrimp larva, cannonball jellyfish and sea roaches are common examples. They are voracious eaters, taking in as much phytoplankton as they can. In turn, bait fish, shrimp, crabs, and mobula rays make their way here and feed off zooplankton. These animals will continue the food web, as larger fish, sharks and dolphins will eat the smaller creatures. The fecal waste of all the animals go back into the water, becoming detritus, feeds the phytoplankton, and the cycle repeats itself over and over.

Keeping a balance for clean water

It’s important to have a balance within our water column. Any loss of one organism can have profound and devastating effects on the entire ecology. Loss of oyster habitat, overfishing or taking undersized fish out of the food chain all contribute to the decline to our water quality. Fishing restrictions include time, size and quantity give a species a chance to grow and repopulate without human interference. On land, building restrictions are in place to limit the amount of harmful pollutants entering our creeks and rivers. Without these regulations, we run the risk of becoming another environmental catastrophe.

While the waters here may not be crystal clear, you can be assured that they are healthy and clean . The next time you’re out on a dolphin tour exploring the waterways, you can be thankful that our murky waters bring so much life to our island.

Tag: Hilton Head Waters

Things to do on Hilton Head when it rains