 Today we once again pivoted, as is often the case in July, to an earlier time due to the wind. The tide was falling in the salt marsh, but this crew of four had remarkable spirits. They were great. And the low tide offered us a chance to see the oysters spitting and the egrets wading in the mud, and the orange beard sponge washed up on the flats. One roseate spoonbill flew over, too. The wind was a little gusty at times, and a few fishing charters were out and about, but the paddling and company were very fine indeed. Shrimp popped in the shallows, and a bluefish leapt out of the water. We chatted in the way of old friends as we did an out-and-back--very much an uphill then downhill kind of day, what with the tide and wind going with us on the ride home. I always really appreciate people who stay positive and see the beauty in the marsh, even in less-than-ideal conditions, for every day is a beautiful day in the Murrells Inlet salt marsh.
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 I got down to Wacca Wache for a 5 pm tour, unloaded the boats, and then took a better look at the river. It was raging with wind and tide. So, I called this group, and thankfully they were close and could come look for themselves. They were chill and cool--two were from Germany!--and after some back and forth, we decided to go to Peachtree Landing, I'm so glad we did. Buckskin Creek, even against the tide, was very fine and pleasant as far as paddling goes, especially at sunset. We shared many laughs as we wound through the swamp. We didn't see any alligators, like we'd hoped, but we caught sight of an osprey fishing and some turtles plopping and some cypress trees in all their summer sunset glory.
 I was initially a little worried about this heat wave, and as the old saying goes, there ain’t no shade in the salt marsh. But the clouds provided, if not shade, much UV blockage that, with the light breeze, made the day fine for paddling. We—the Shaws from Florida and I—took the winding back creeks most of the way up into Huntington Beach State Park, and we watched the green herons and the great egrets lift, and the eagles and ospreys soar above. A big barge with a bulldozer sat in the middle of the creek, though I don’t know what that’s all about. The tide was coming in fast and high, and we used it mostly to our advantage to circle through the marsh maze. Being from near Destin, they were accustomed to the salt life, and they brought a great energy and enthusiasm and knowledge to the tour. Right when we ended, the wind kicked up, churning the water into whitecaps, and we were glad for the good timing, and another beautiful day in the Murrells Inlet salt marsh.
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AuthorHastings Hensel Archives
July 2026
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