The Town of Seabrook Island received a Municipal Achievement Award for its Dolphin Education Program. Mayor Ron Ciancio accepted the award on behalf of the town during the Municipal Association of South Carolina's (MASC) Annual Meeting on July 20. The town won in the 1,001 – 5,000 population category. Twenty-nine cities and towns submitted their projects and initiatives. 

Seabrook Island has the distinction of being one of the few places where visitors can observe Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in the process of strand feeding, a behavior in which they launch themselves up onto a beach to eat the fish they have driven out of the water before them. 

The spectacular hunting strategy is a tourist draw, but it’s also vulnerable to human interference. To protect it, the Town of Seabrook Island focused on education for beachgoers by building partnerships with a local nonprofit group, volunteers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. 

The Seabrook Island Dolphin Education Program, designed by NOAA Fisheries and managed by the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN), relies on volunteers working during peak tourist season to engage with and educate beachgoers about the process while also collecting data on strand feeding and the impact humans have on it. As a tourism project, the town supported the program with state accommodations tax funding. The program was also coordinated with the neighboring Town of Kiawah Island. 

In its initial 2018 season, program volunteers worked more than 600 hours on the beach, interacting with more than 1,400 beachgoers. The season ended with no significant dolphin disturbances, and the educators were able to track the behavior of 11 dolphins, including one new calf. 

For 2019, the town aims to increase volunteer participation and coverage hours. It hopes to eventually build enough volunteer expertise to transition program management to a volunteer-run organization, similar to the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol, Seabrook Island Birders and Seabrook Island National History Group. 

“Seabrook Island is an example to coastal cities everywhere on collaboration to protect our ocean wildlife and barrier islands,” said Eric Budds, interim executive director for MASC.

These winning entries represent innovative projects undertaken by MASC member cities and towns. Information and a video about the project are available on the Association’s website www.masc.sc (keyword: Achievement Awards).  

The MASC initiated the Achievement Awards in 1987 to recognize and encourage innovations and excellence in local government. 

Click below to view the Town of Seabrook Island's award video, courtesy of MASC.

The Seabrook Island Club will host the town's annual Independence Day Celebration on Wed. June 3rd. The fireworks display is sponsored by the Town of Seabrook Island. 

The primary spectator area for the fireworks will be located on the Club's driving range, which is located behind the Clubhouse at 3772 Seabrook Island Road. The range will open at 4:00 pm, with music, food and beverage sales beginning at 6:00 pm. The fireworks display will begin shortly after 9:00 pm. 

Attendees are asked to please take note of the following: 

• There will be limited to no parking available at the Club. Attendees are asked to walk or bike to the event, or take a shuttle from one of two designated locations (see below for shuttle info.)
• Seabrook Island Road will be closed to traffic in front of the Clubhouse beginning at 5:00 pm. Motorists are advised to use High Hammock Road as a bypass route.
• The "fallout area" on the golf course will be closed to pedestrians beginning 30 minutes before the fireworks display and will remain closed until 30 minutes after. For your own safety, please obey all signage and instructions from security personnel within this restricted area. 
• No grills or open flames will be permitted on Club property.
• No dogs (except service animals) will be permitted on Club property.
• Due to South Carolina ABC regulations, outside alcoholic beverages will not be permitted.

Shuttle Information

Two large buses will be running on a continuous shuttle loop. One loop will go from Seabrook Island Real Estate Office (1002 Landfall Way) to the Clubhouse, and the other from the Lake House (2319 Seabrook Island Road) to the Clubhouse. Each loop is expected to take approximately 25 minutes. Guest shuttle service will begin at 5:00 pm and the last loop will depart the Clubhouse at 10:00 pm.

Rain Date

In the event of inclement weather, the rain date will be Fri. June 5th.