Scenes Of Shem Creek History And Shrimp Walking Tour

Wonderful, fun and very informative tour. Captain Brian was the best tour guide ever! He treated us more like friends than tourists, and went out of his way to ensure we had the best experience.

The question is ‘why wouldn’t you do this tour?” Fantastic tour, see the heart of the old city, feel the history, walk the boardwalk, feel the breeze, see the seabirds and dolphins following boats in Shem creek, understand why you should care about where your seafood comes from. After the tour eat at Art’s Bar and Grill where you can eat LOCAL shrimp, fresh and tasty, eat like a local!

One of the best tours we took in Charleston!! Captain Bryan is awesome- so knowledgeable about the local history and fun to be with plus we learned so much about the shrimping industry. I would highly recommend this tour

Captain Bryan was so incredibly entertaining and knowledgeable about so many important aspects of the Shrimping industry and the history of the Lowcountry. This tour was absolutely the highlight of our trip. We are so grateful that we had the opportunity to spend the day with Captain Bryan.

Captain Bryan was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, passionate and engaging. His love for the area, its history and the shrimping industry runs deep and shows through on the whole tour. Even my 12yo loved the tour and that doesn't always happen. Highly recommend.

Captain Bryan was amazing! To be so young, he is so knowledgeable about his hometown’s history and shrimping industry. My adult daughter and I happened to be the only ones on the tour. Since it was so hot, Bryan offered to chauffeur us around to the stops. It was awesome! The air conditioned ride was greatly appreciated. Bryan was so personable and made the tour fun and engaging. I highly recommend this tour!!

Such an AMAZING experience!!!! There is one thing in life that truly inspires me and that is when I am blessed to experience someone else’s PASSION. It does not matter whatever job it is, when someone has unbridled passion for something and they graciously pour their hearts out on a stage or kindly and simply share it with others, it is inspirational!!! That is who Captain Brian is. It’s not really about ranking Brian as a tour guide it’s simply about telling you that he one of those PASSIONATE souls that has the ability to share that knowledge and experience with others. Our group was so very impressed with our tour of Shem Creek and how personable Brian was by involving us all with his enthusiasm, knowledge, and wittiness. Captain Brian, you are a true inspiration to your passion and we THANK YOU SO MUCH for living that passion and sharing it with us!!!! Much Love, Uncle Phil (not really your uncle)

Captain Bryan was very well versed in the history of Charleston & shrimp industry. Extremely passionate, knowledgeable and engaging. Highly recommend.

Capt Bryan is engaging, well educated and full of energy. He has great stories that bring to life all the interesting history of Charleston. He ties in the economics of the Shrimping industry and shows you where to enjoy local shrimp! A real pro! We loved our time with him.

The Shem Creek History & Shrimp Walking Tour was hands-down the highlight of our long weekend in Charleston — and this is coming from someone who did not expect to become emotionally invested in shrimp logistics. Capt. Bryan walked us through the historic neighborhood where we learned that Charleston’s early residents apparently could not catch a break: Spanish and French attacks in the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates kidnapping locals, and the whole place getting burned to the ground more than once. Honestly, the city has survived enough drama for at least three Netflix series. Bonus fun fact: the area was colonized in 1680, which made me feel very young and very bad at history trivia. Then we crossed over to the shrimping side and got a fascinating crash course in the shrimp industry — including what fueled its growth (modern refrigeration, the interstate system, and WWII…because apparently shrimp needed infrastructure). We visited one of the few remaining shrimp processing plants and got a sobering but interesting look at how global competition has dramatically changed what was once a booming local industry. We also went dockside to view a shrimp trawler where Capt. Bryan explained the entire shrimp-catching process, right down to the escape device that lets larger sea creatures avoid becoming accidental dinner guests. We wrapped up the tour learning how to throw a shrimp net, which is much harder than it looks and gave me a newfound respect for people who do this for a living. If “history and shrimp tour” sounds boring, trust me — it isn’t. Capt. Bryan is funny, charming, and teaches in a way that keeps you completely engaged (even when the subject is, technically, shrimp economics). When we return to Charleston, we’ll absolutely look him up for one of his other tours.

This was a fun walking tour. Capt. Bryan is very knowledgable about Charleston history, shrimping, and current trends. He was accommodating and flexible, ensuring a good experience. It was sad to learn that so few local restaurants actually serve local shrimp. The walking tour showed some historic homes, beautiful flora, and how to catch shrimp with a net. Bryan was a great guy and the tour is highly recommended. A treat at the end was very nice!

Captain Bryan was our guide for our morning tour. He was excellent! He has a wealth of knowledge that he shared in an informative, yet entertaining way that taught us so much about the history of Mount Pleasant and its development.

Captain Bryan Blalock’s Shem Creek Shrimp Tour is excellent and filled with fascinating facts. I’m a Charleston resident who learned previously unknown information about Mount Pleasant’s history and shrimp culture. Bryan is very engaging with tour guests and delivers a fun, fact packed walk around Mount Pleasant’s Shem Creek area. I highly recommend taking this tour!

Captain Bryan was amazing! He not only had a wealth of interesting facts, he presented them in such an engaging way that history truly came alive. I’ve been on many wonderful tours but I have never learned so much and enjoyed doing so as much as I did on this tour. I can’t recommend this tour enough and not just for visitors but for anyone living in the area. Thank you, Captain Bryan - you are truly a gifted teacher!

Captain Brian was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and we learnt a lot in the 2 hours we were on the tour.

Great time! Great history lesson. Can’t wait for the shrimp boil and the other amazing history tours.

Excellent tour of Mount Pleasant. Nice mix of early history of the town and the rise and decline of the shrimping industry. Captain Bryan is knowledgeable and informative. This is a great tour to learn about the Shem Creek area across the harbor from downtown Charleston.

Bryan was very knowledgeable and it was a great walking tour! The kids were engaged in the history as well.

He gives a lot of really good historical facts about Mt. Pleasant and Charleston. He was very knowledgeable and presented information in an interesting format. He engaged well with the children on the tour.

Tour guide Bryan was personable,, enraging and eager to share his deep knowledge of Mount Pleasant/Charleston history plus the origin, evolution and today’s status of the local shrimping industry. We were the only two booked and Bryan gave us an intimate private tour when other tours we’ve booked in recent years have canceled without their minimum. Can’t wait to book another of his many tours when next back in Charleston. Highly recommend!

Captain Bryan was our very entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide. It was just the 3 of us so it was like having a private tour. We walked around the beautiful Old Village at Shem Creek, listening to many interesting stories about the area’s history including Charleston and the islands and the effect on the shrimp boat industry. The tour ended on the docks next to the shrimp boats so Bryan could explain how the boats operate and then do a casting net demo. He grew up in Shem Creek and is passionate about preserving and sharing the local history. We really enjoyed this unique tour. It’s especially ideal if you’ve already done several of the traditional tours in Charleston and are looking for something different.

Captain Bryan gives a great tour of Shem Creek and the history of the area and the shrimp industry! He is literally an encyclopedia of information and very informative, interesting and entertaining! We highly recommend this tour if you are in the Charleston area!!

Captain Brian did a very nice job of explaining the history of the area. He was very entertaining and explained behind the scenes of how the islands and shrimping industry have changed, to what it is now today. He shared many insights along with the hands on adventure of seeing shrimp first hand from a local family business and to teaching us how to net our own catch of shrimp.

The Behind the Scenes of Shem Creek Shrimp Walking Tour was absolutely amazing. Our guide clearly loves what he does and has deep roots in the shrimping community, and it shows in every story he tells. He walked us through the docks like we were old friends, explained how the shrimp boats work, and shared local history you’d never hear anywhere else. The whole experience felt real, personal, and completely unique to Charleston. If you want something authentic and memorable and not just another tourist activity then this is the tour! 💯

Captain Bryan is absolutely on top of his game!He loves local history and weaves it effortlessly into the greater view of the region. Most amazing is how relevant the stories he shares are with here and now. Looking forward to other offerings by Bryan, like a boat tour.

Captain Brian gave a great historical tour of the area along with a tour of the shrimp history/ demonstration. He entertained the group well and kept us all informed, even treats at the end. Thanks Brian

Captain Bryan was an outstanding guide. His knowledge, in detail and breadth, on various topics was notably impressive. He was very personable, communicated very clearly, and connected so well interpersonally.

Right from the start Bryan was great at communicating and very detailed on where to meet. The tour was really informative and shows beautiful parts of Shem Creek that you would never otherwise see. Bryan is a great speaker, and he makes sure you can hear and understand him. His knowledge of history and the shrimping industry is interesting! Next time I'm in town I will take some of his other tours.

Bryan, our tour expert, is so knowledgeable and entertaining! He made this unique tour fun and educational at the same time.

Great morning. Captain Bryan is very knowledgeable. He grew up in this area and knows so much history. We also learned so much about the shrimping industry and sustainability. We got a great lesson in how to toss a net which was really a blast. Highly recommend!

Our tour guide was fantastic but the tour did not meet the description. We were expecting more of a working shrimp boat and a seaside snack. We spent more time learning about history and homes than on the shrimp docks. We thought we would get to eat shrimp but left without a snack and had to run to lunch.

The best tour we had in Charleston! Captain is honest, sweet and loves his history! The tour was fun, interactive and informative!!!

Captain Brian was GREAT! He was so very knowledgeable and FUN!!! Not only did we learn, we laughed. A wonderful combination when you are doing a tour. He was so kind, especially to the children attending. I was impressed that he was able to remember names of so many in the group. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is able to do the slow walk with him. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Captain Bryan was the best..he was extremely friendly and welcoming from the moment we arrived. He led such an interesting and informative tour about Shem creek and the history of the surrounding area as well as the shrimping industry. He was very knowledgeable as well as personable and humorous throughout the tour. I can honestly say we learned a lot and had a great time doing so!! We were completely engaged the entire time and thoroughly enjoyed this excursion. Definitely highly recommend participating in this tour!!…was a clear highlight of our trip to South Carolina!!

Great mixture of history and humor. Learned a lot about the background of the shrimping industry in Charleston. Captain Brian was an awesome guide and held our interest with great stories.

Capt brad was great knew a lot of history fot the small island, gave us great place to eat lunch. Over all a great experence.

Very fun and informational! Captain was a great tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. Cool to learn about history and shrimping in Charleston.

Captain Bryan was very knowledgeable and informative about the local history and architecture, as well as the details of shrimping. Locally raised and grown, committed to the community.

Great knowledge and my child wasn’t feeling the best but he was so patient with us and still tried to included us. Would definitely recommend

Capt Bryan’s tour was excellent, personal, genuine, fun, and info packed. I have been visiting the area and eating at Shem Creek for over 40 years and i had no idea that the historic neighborhood still existed as a hidden gem. Great tour. Put this on your list.

Capt. Bryan was SO awesome! We did this tour with our kiddos ages 2 & 4 and he kept them engaged along with the adults too! There was so much history and knowledge Bryan shared about the area and we learned really cool facts about shrimp too! This was the perfect tour to get out and about to walk off breakfast and see the area. I would do this tour again once we come back and visit! Hats off to you my friend!! Great tour!

This by far was the best tour. Captain Bryan was thorough, funny and had the most history knowledge. He taught us about war history as well as shrimping. Mount Pleasant is a beautiful town. I loved admiring the old houses on the walking tour. Money well spent. Thank you Capt. Bryan

Very informative about the history of Shem Creek and how shrimping started. Highlighted the struggles and challenges of present day shrimping.

Captain Bryan is an awesome tour guide! He taught us so much about the history of the area and shrimp industry. He also did a great job engaging and entertaining our kids.

We had a great time on our tour of Shem Creek with Captain Bryan. He has an incredible local knowledge of this area. Even though my husband grew up around here, there was so much we learned!! We also really enjoyed seeing how the shrimping industry works. Thanks!

Captian Bryan is amazing!! You will not regret your time with him. We have 4 young kiddos and even our kids think he is fantastic! He is a local who knows what he is talking about and makes history come alive and makes fun jokes that made our kiddos laugh. Book one of his tours! It will be the highlight of your trip.

One of the absolute highlights of our trip. My mom and I ended up as the only participants on the tour and it was fantastic. This is more than learning the ChatGPT summary of Shem Creek. You feel immersed in the community. Captain Bryan put it best (paraphrasing) “To understand what is going on, you need to know how you got here.” This tour touches on Charleston history, pirates, the local shrimping history vs current conditions, restaurant recommendations, local real estate history - Capt. Bryan ties it all together. This is one of those experiences you remember for a very long time after your trip. Capt. Bryan is passionate about the history of the area and is highly accurate in his facts. Our only regret from this trip is that we didn’t sign up for more of his tours!

Captain Bryan was the best! A great history lesson on the evolution of the shrimping industry in SC from the Revolutionary War to present

Captain Brian was very knowledgeable about the history of Mount Pleasant. In addition he had a vast knowledge of the shrimping industry. He was very passionate and enthusiastic about his hometown. Not just telling you information, but he was presenting it like a story. He was able to answer your questions and took every question seriously. Recommend some local restaurants that did not disappoint!! We ate local shrimp at Arts Bar and Grill and the flounder sandwich was great!