Myrtle Beach is one of America’s top beach vacation destinations, with its long coastline and vibrant boardwalk. But many visitors never step beyond the beach to see what else this beautiful area has to offer! And while there are many places you can choose to explore, I recommend the Waccamaw River.
Like much of South Carolina, Myrtle Beach has a thriving natural side, particularly along the Waccamaw River. This beautiful area has lush foliage, peaceful waters, and a wide variety of local wildlife, from birds to turtles and alligators.
It’s a fantastic place to escape from the bustle of the beach and immerse yourself in nature. And if you don’t have a boat, no worries–you can enhance your experience even more with a Waccamaw River Nature and Wildlife Tour!
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Why Choose Waccamaw River Tours?
I discovered Waccamaw River Tours while doing a Viator search of nature-centric experiences in Myrtle Beach. The company had great reviews, and I loved how different the tour was from anything else I saw online. After doing a bit more research on Google, I felt really good about booking the Waccamaw River Nature and Wildlife Tour through Viator.
When we initially arrived on site, I was a bit skeptical because the tour begins from the back of an abandoned zoo (more on that later)! But those feelings quickly disappeared once we interacted with the staff (and the sweet resident dogs!).
They were very efficient and professional as they got everyone situated on the boat. I also really appreciated that they did not sell every possible seat so that groups could sit together and no one felt squished. I’ve had some bad experiences with tours packing people in like sardines, so I was very happy to hear that their general policy is to leave a certain number of seats empty. The seats were also relatively comfortable, and the boat had a cover overhead to protect us from the summer sun.
It was also very clear from the moment the tour started that our guide and captain loved this area. Our guide knew the river like the back of her hand, and she shared so much fascinating information as well as fun facts about specific trees, birds, plants, etc. Her energy made it easy to stay involved.
I can’t talk about the company without mentioning their cute shop near the dock. It’s small but filled with fun knickknacks, toys, and handmade goods. They also sell a couple of food items that they talked about on the tour: Tupelo honey and Carolina Gold rice. Both are directly connected to the area, so it was interesting to learn about them and be able to bring them home! The staff also offers free honey samples if you want to try it before you buy.
What You’ll See on the Waccamaw River Tour
The Waccamaw River is such a beautiful and peaceful area, featuring black water and bright green foliage. The main river sees a decent bit of boat traffic, but the tour will take you through some of the smaller offshoots, which are quiet and perfect for spotting wildlife.
Waccamaw River Flora & Fauna
As you go, the guide will share plenty of interesting facts about the local ecosystem, including the water (and why it’s black), which plants can be used medicinally and are most likely to hide alligators, which trees are preferred by specific birds, etc. It’s all interesting, but the field-trip-style cruise makes the learning experience even more fun.
Waccamaw River Wildlife
But the highlight of the trip–at least in my opinion–is the wildlife. This river is home to many freshwater creatures, including turtles, alligators, and birds.
Of course, each trip will be different because these are wild creatures, and there’s never a guarantee they’ll appear. But we were fortunate to see all of these during our river cruise!
We saw more birds than anything else, including ospreys, egrets, herons, and even an owl! The trees along the river bank hold many osprey nests, and the birds were pretty easy to spot up perched in the trees or flying around. The other birds were all situated in quieter parts of the river, wading peacefully in the shallows or waiting on low-hanging branches. They were all so majestic, and some of them had really pretty coloring.
We also encountered two alligators during our trip, although I only saw one. It was chilling near the riverbank with just its eyes and the top of its snout above the water! The captain stopped the boat for a few minutes so we could all get a good look before we continued the tour. It was pretty camouflaged, but the guide had a laser pointer, which she used to point out hard-to-see wildlife throughout the tour, which also came in handy here.
The Guide’s Expertise
As I mentioned, our guide was absolutely delightful. She had the right balance of information and humor to keep the tour engaging without seeming obnoxious, and she talked the entire time, but it was all really interesting. She clearly had a general script timed to specific landmarks and plants we passed, but she effortlessly switched back and forth when we encountered specific creatures.
Something that really stood out to me is how well she knew the specific osprey we passed. It’s one thing to share basic facts about types of trees and the eating habits of alligators. But she actually pointed out the osprey by name and shared some of their stories with us!
For example, osprey mate for life but migrate alone in the winter. They typically return to their nest within a few weeks of each other, but there’s a mated pair that always comes back just a few days apart. Another osprey couple had lost their babies (I believe the nest fell out of the tree twice), and they were so sad that they didn’t have any more eggs for a while and eventually moved their nest to a different tree, which is pretty rare. When we passed the new nest, the momma osprey was in the process of teaching her baby how to fly, and so our guide told us their story, which personalized the whole experience.
The captain also had a bit of a mischievous streak, which had me cracking up. Apparently, he and the guide have a running joke where he tries to hit her with a specific tree branch on every tour. 😂He also steered us directly across another boat’s wake so we would rock around for a second. They were little things, but they made me laugh.
Why It’s Perfect for Nature Lovers
I think the Waccamaw River Tour is such a perfect choice for nature lovers in Myrtle Beach! It’s a great way to see another side of Myrtle Beach that most people miss and learn about this important ecosystem at the same time.
However, it has some universal components that many people could enjoy, whether or not you consider yourself a “nature enthusiast.” It’s very relaxing, informative, and entertaining.
It’s also a good fit for any age group. Our tour had families with small kids, older couples, and adult groups (like ours). It’s engaging enough that even the small kids enjoyed themselves, and everyone helped to point out the wildlife we passed.
Additionally, I feel like the tour was very manageable and accessible. The boat ramp is wheelchair accessible, and the tour doesn’t require standing or walking around. It lasts about 2 hours, and they have water and a bathroom on the boat, so pretty much all your bases are covered.
Things to Know Before You Go
The Waccamaw River Nature and Wildlife Tour runs twice daily, several days a week, during the warm months. You can choose from 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. tours, which last approximately two hours each.
Tickets cost about $40, and you can get them from a variety of platforms. I personally used Viator because I like the easy ticket access, rewards points, and ability to cancel up to 24 hours prior for a full refund. They do tend to sell out, so I recommend booking as far in advance as possible to secure your seats.
You don’t need to bring much for this river tour, but I suggest sunscreen, water, a camera (with a telephoto lens), and binoculars if you have them. We saw everything just fine without binoculars, but obviously, we couldn’t see as many details.
You can also pop into their store before or after your tour for drinks, snacks, and souvenirs.
See the Tour in Action on YouTube!
Closing Thoughts on the Waccamaw River Tour
We had such a fun time exploring the Waccamaw River on this morning cruise! As someone who can only stand so much beach time, it felt great to break away from the shoreline and spend a couple of relaxing hours floating down the river instead. Unlike many of Myrtle Beach’s more popular attractions, it felt very uncrowded, and I enjoyed the quiet and simplicity of the whole venture.
I also liked that Waccamaw River Tours is a locally owned company. They leave from a boat dock at the back of the old Waccatee Zoo, which I found odd. But they explained that the property’s owner wants to keep the land free from development, so they rent out this dock to help support that conservation effort.
So, if you’re heading to Myrtle Beach, book your tickets to the Waccamaw River Nature and Wildlife Tour before they sell out!
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Thanks for stopping by to read this post! I encourage you to poke around before you leave and check out my other adventures and guides from all around the globe. You never know what you’ll discover! Until next time, happy travels.
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Wonderful read, Carrie!! Felt like I was on the boat with you. That, my dear, is an objective-attained!! The goal of every writer!! 💗💗
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!