Vanishing Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour

Overview

Enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour adventure on your own private boat. Your Master Captain will guide you safely through the Calibogue on a falling tide to the isle. This mile long sandbar is exposed for only a couple of hours per day, allowing beachcombers the chance to collect sand dollars, seashells and the occasional shark's tooth.

We’ll stop along the way to look for wild dolphins playing in the sound. We’ll share information about the island, the salt marsh and the surrounding ecosystem. Your Captain is also a Lowcountry Master Naturalist, and will assist you in identifying the various shells, mollusks and other invertebrates to be found on this tour!

This is an ideal outing for families and small groups. With up to 6 passengers, there’s plenty of room onboard and a comfortable seat for everyone.

City: Hilton Head Island

Sun 03 Aug

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $429.00

Make a reservation

Sun 03 Aug

Starting at $429.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Licensed Captain and Low Country Master Naturalist, providing an in-depth narrative for your group

All Fees and Taxes

Private vessel for your family tour

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This trip does require some level of mobility, as it involves stepping down onto a step and wading in two to six inches of water

What To Expect

Harbour Town Lighthouse and Museum

On the way to the Mile Isle, we’ll cruise past the iconic red and white striped lighthouse. The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a lighthouse at the Harbour Town Marina at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was privately built and is a private aid to navigation.

Daufuskie Island

We’ll continue down the beach line of Daufuskie, looking for wild dolphins as we go. Daufuskie Island, located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina. It is 5 miles long by almost 2.5 miles wide – approximate surface area of 8 square miles.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (83)

KristinR104

Oct 2024

Captain Mark is amazing! This is our second (and definitely not our last) tour with Captain Mark of Cross Island Cruises. The last time we went on the dolphin cruise and to the shell beach with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. This time we did the vanishing island tour, and still found lots of dolphins, but also found starfish and sand dollars on the vanishing island. Oh- and saw a blue crab and an alligator!! The boys are now 6 and 4 (first grade and pre-K). We had so much fun and Captain Mark was just amazing talking with the boys and answering their questions. He kept them fully engaged the whole time and is just the kindest, most genuine guy you’ll ever meet. If you can only do one thing with your family on Hilton Head Island- I urge you to do one of the Cross Island Cruises with Captain Mark. You will not be disappointed and will become a repeat customer, and make a new friend on the island. See you soon Captain Mark!!! Thank you so very much!!!

Response from Host

Oct 2024

Thank you, Kristin! It was wonderful to see everyone again! Really enjoyed seeing how much fun the boys had exploring the sandbar. Looking forward to doing it again next season!

Laura F

Sep 2024

Our family ladies (30s-70s) and littles (2 and 3 yr olds) had the best time with Captain Mark! We saw LOTS of dolphins, and enjoyed the sightseeing from the water with expert narration. Our stop on Vanishing Island was full of special sea creatures with many shells collected. On the ride back we found a mountain of shells to climb and still more dolphins playing in the sunset. This was the perfect kickoff for our week in Hilton Head. We all look forward to this outing with Captain Mark when we return in the future!!

Response from Host

Sep 2024

Thank you so much, Laura! It was great having all of you out on the water. So glad the little ones enjoyed it as much as I did! Hope to see you again soon!

carissac642

Aug 2024

Captain Mark created such a wonderful experience for us. We learned lots of fun facts about the island, sea life, and more. This was such a fun and exciting trip to a vanishing isle that is so fascinating and unreal! He was a great guide and ensured that we would have an unforgettable experience. He went out of his way to show us everything that we were curious about. Overall, I highly recommend booking this tour because this experience is hard to come by!

Response from Host

Aug 2024

Thank you so much, Carissa! It was great meeting you two and getting an opportunity to show you around the waters. Really appreciate you coming out exploring and hope to see you guys again soon!