Coastal Georgia has long relied on the seafood industry and the Shrimp Cruise with Credle’s Adventures allows visitors to see where their food comes from.
The Lady Jane is a Coast Guard-certified retired shrimping boat that has been transformed into an education encounter for all ages. The tours leave from nearby Brunswick, where you’ll board the air-conditioned cabin for a two-hour cruise through St. Simons Sound.
We were greeted by Phil, a marine biologist formerly with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, who told us about what kinds of creatures inhabited the area.
Pelicans and seagulls stalked the boat, which they knew would be attracting food for them. The net was lowered and left in the ocean for a few minutes before the captain called over the radio to have it pulled up again.
A bounty was released onto the table, including fish, shrimp, crabs, and pieces of seaweed. Phil was on hand to identify what was before us, as many of us hadn’t seen some of the creatures close up before. We found blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, stone claw crabs, stingrays, and small species of fish.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources governs what can be done with the animal life, so sea turtles that end up in the net must be measured, marked, and released into the water before being called into the office.
Shrimp are no longer kept for on-board consumption due to Scientific Species Permitting. But if you’re interested in learning more about where seafood comes from and the history of shrimping in the area, I highly recommend this tour. It’s a great day out if you’ve had your fill of beach time at the area resorts.
If You Go
Tours cost $39.95 for adults and $25 for children under 6. The company also runs dolphin sighting and pirate boat tours. From St. Simons and Sea Island, cross the FJ Torras Causeway to Highway 17. Turn left onto 17-South and continue half a mile.
Turn into the Marshside Grill on your left, where Credle’s Adventures will be behind the restaurant. They recommend not following your GPS directions. To book a tour, visit their website, shrimpcruise.com, or call the office at 912-265-5711.
I received a complimentary tour as a part of a press trip to St. Simon’s Island with Leigh Cort Publicity, but all opinions are my own.
Hi Carolyn! We are two old retired vagabonds, one Canadian, I from Seattle. We are planning a trip to and thru the south, starting in Florida in late April and ending up on the west coast a few weeks later. We are Back Roads travelers. Looking for hostels, local tours, local eats, a taste of southern culture. Neither of us have traveled the southern states before. County roads over interstates! Serindipity is our morning plans, with time to talk with locals! Any suggestions or web sites? Would love to overnight on a shrimp boat!
Hi there,
Lots of good suggestions on this site and in my book, also called This Is My South. I don’t know of a place to sleep on a shrimp boat but I’d look on Airbnb! I slept on a sailboat in Charleston that I found that way.