Oh, the story of our lives.  Everyone’s heard of the Bulls Island Ferry and how it takes people into Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, but few have been.  And when we read this quote from the November issue of “Yachting Magazine”, we had an el-oh-el moment.

This “wild island” that they talk about in the article (which is a fantastic piece on Charleston, by the way) is a 5,000-acre shangri-la within a 66,000-acre national wildlife refuge.  Managed for the conservation of habitat and wildlife, this labyrinth of creeks and estuaries that wind between islands and oyster banks is a place is crucial for loggerhead sea turtle nesting, diamondback terrapin habitat and shorebird protection.

From the article:

“The island is about 25 nautical miles from Charleston Harbor, a nice day cruise for a quick boat. A small Coastal Expeditions ferry embarks from a dock outside of Charleston and reaches Bulls ­Island’s southwestern point. But Roll is taking us to the opposite tip of the island, 7 miles from the ferry landing. He’s a human chart plotter and knows the way to the island as easily as we know the way to the drinks in the cooler.

“Where I’m taking you is one of the nicest beaches I’ve ever seen,” he says. This from a captain who’s worked in Mallorca, the Virgin Islands and Antigua, which claims 365 beaches.

After pausing to watch a loggerhead turtle off to port and three dolphins play around the boat, we come to a stretch of sand the length of North ­Bimini Island. Not a grain of it has been touched by humans today — only by dozens of sand dollars and two horseshoe crabs the size of woks. The minutes slowly turn to hours. Our morning walk turns to an afternoon stroll. Toward the island’s spine are otters, black fox squirrels and birds we’ve never seen before. Most unusual of all is the sight of three ­figures in the distance. People. Even at a mile away, it feels like they’re violating our space.

“We should head back,” I say.

On our return to the mainland, Gates is back in beagle mode, pointing out wildlife and marveling at the water that, at various moments, he calls:

• “The most productive ecosystem on the planet.”
• “The most overlooked feature in Charleston.”
• “The most important source of Charleston’s wealth in Colonial times.”

We kind of love the description of Gates being in beagle mode.  And we hope his passion for the refuge, so thoughtfully captured in this article, encourages you to tie on your hiking boots, hop on the ferry and set off for Bulls Island.  Adventure awaits.