We headed out for a half day of self-guided kayaking from Shem Creek after a leisurely breakfast of one of my favorite lowcountry specialties: Crab Cake Benedict. The iconic shrimp boats of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina had already returned to their docks at the crack of dawn, and miscellaneous members of the crew were tending to nets and hosing the decks as hungry seagulls made their rounds.

We paddled out of Shem Creek to Crab Bank, a thin, almost imperceptible, protected island that hosts scores of coastal bird species. This little island is indeed slipping into the sea, as the waves from the busy harbor erode and endanger its fragile shores.

The contrast of the delicate wildlife sanctuary amongst the background of enormous container ships and cruise boats heading in and out of Charleston Harbor is dramatic, and you quickly feel dwarfed by the busy shipping channel. But, stay close to the island and the variety of birds will amaze you as bottlenose dolphin pass nearby.

A look across the Cooper River towards the ocean gives you a glimpse of Fort Sumter’s walled banks, where Major Robert Anderson found his demise at the hands of his former student. Further across the harbor lies Charleston’s Waterfront Park, with swaying benches and squealing children enjoying the pineapple fountains.

As we rounded the far end of Crab Bank, we quickly realized that the tide was not in our favor for the return trip, making our eventual return to Shem Creek a welcome respite for tired arms. In the blink of an eye, I caught a rare glimpse of a manatee popping its head out among the shrimp boats while goggling at some of The Old Village’s most majestic, waterfront homes.

We celebrated our efforts on Shem Creek with happy hour at Red’s Icehouse, a popular watering hole with well-heeled and boisterous Mount Pleasant locals. Feasting on inexpensive buckets of salty, local oysters, we tried in vain to get a second look at the afternoon’s manatee.

No luck, as we realized the morning’s crew of shrimp boaters had been replaced by plaid-clad party goers and the murmur of frogs among the pluff mud.