Labor Day Stingrays? No Way! Yes Way!

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. But the hot, humid weather continues in the Charleston area.

Fall or autumn begins Tuesday, Sept. 22 and Daylight Savings Times ends on Sunday, Nov. 1. 

Edisto Beach was a pleasant place to spend part of this national holiday. The skies were overcast and it was a bit windy. The beach wasn’t too crowded. And one of the best things about Edisto is the free parking that is very close to the sand.

We may start going again to Sullivan’s Island now that beach chairs are allowed after months of the “keep it moving” ordinance due to COVID-19.

Edisto has been great this summer though the drive is longer. The atmosphere here is always relaxed and family-oriented.

I get the feeling families have been coming here for generations, whether Lowcountry families or those from other parts of South Carolina or other states. 

The fishers (fishermen if you prefer) are always fun to watch to see what they may reel in amid the waves. Well, not long after we set up our chairs there was quite a catch just to our left. Then soon another, then another after that.

The catch of the day? Stingrays! 

To think all of the times we swam here this summer that stingrays like these may have been (probably were?) within feet of our feet. It's a bit disturbing to contemplate. 

But as someone commented on Facebook after I shared some of these photos: "They are all in the water along with the sharks and neither one wants to bother you." Or as someone else advised, "Just shuffle your feet every step you take and they will get up and move along with the flounder."  

These guys were fine with me taking these photographs. The man on the left said he was stung on his arm by a ray he caught earlier that day. It didn’t feel so good, he said. I bet it didn’t! 

The anglers seemed to know how to handle the unique fish. They pretty efficiently removed the hook. Not sure what the bait was. I should have asked. It looked to be a chunk of white fish of some sort.

The stingrays were returned to the sea. This one got a ride through the air before splashing into the water. 

Brown Pelicans were around, as usual. I was able to continue working on my camera burst efforts. 

Laughing Gull pair

Laughing Gull and the Stingray guy

Willet 

Sanderling 

Before leaving Edisto Island we drove down Steamboat Landing Road to the dock on the North Edisto River. There is a great deal of history here including the Seabrook Plantation and the different ways the landing was used for transportation including by Union forces during the Civil War. Read more here. 

From the dock to the right can be seen this interesting structure. According to the article linked above it was a brick tea house built for and used by the Seabrook family.

Seabrook Island, just up the coastline north of here, was named for the Seabrook family, according to this Seabrook Island website. The successful Seabrook Lowcountry lineage began in 1679 when Robert emigrated from England.