Vanishing Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour

We had a wonderful time. We learned a lot about the area and came home with sand dollars to remember our trip. Captain Mark was wonderful

A great way to spend the afternoon! Captain Mark was so friendly and knowledgeable. We were interested in finding seashells and he was so accommodating and took us to as many spots as possible to collect seashells. We found tons of sand dollars, awesome oyster shells, saw dolphins, stingrays and a shark !!!! Highly recommend this tour. Thank you captain Mark

Amazing experience from start to finish! We received text messages the day prior to our excursion noting expected weather and conditions. The messages also gave a few friendly reminders on what to bring with us and where exactly to meet. Communication on the day of the trip included visuals of where we were meeting - an excellent touch! Capt. Mark was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable of the area and answered all of our questions along the way. We had a relaxed trip, visiting different locations to watch dolphins and beachcomb. We could not have had a better trip and look forward to booking again with Cross Island Cruises!

Captain Mark was outstanding. So knowledgeable of the area and so patient with our group (including 3 energetic young boys). The tour itself was unique - we saw dolphins, tons of starfish, and had a captain to guide us and answer every question. We were also able to avoid storms that day with his ability to work with the weather. Cannot recommend this tour enough!

We had the best time/afternoon with Captain Mark! We learned a lot of interesting things about the island and got to see some amazing views! The kids loved seeing the dolphins! Mark was so sweet with our kids, taking and interacting with them. The sandbar was still not totally visible so he took us to another location to get some shells! We had the best time and will definitely book again!

Captain Mark was very knowledgeable and made the experience very personalized in a fun!

Great experience. Captain Mark was very nice and knowledgeable of the area. It was great to just have the four of us on the boat and not a huge group. We got to see a good amount of dolphins prior to heading to Vanishing Mile Isle. He also showed us the Dafuskie Lighthouse. Mark took us to a sandbar that is not as commonly used by other shell tours. We found alot of great shells, starfish and hermit crabs. We were the only ones at that sandbar which was awesome! I highly recommend booking Captain Mark and Cross Island Cruises!! Remember to put on your sunscreen ahead of the trip. Depending on weather, the ride can be bumpy but still alot of fun!

From the very start, Captain Mark was extremely friendly and welcoming. He was knowledgeable and shared facts about the local eco system and marine life. Because it was a private tour, our group didn’t feel rushed at all. We saw tons of dolphins and had a vanishing isle all to ourselves. Captain Mark helped our group find shells and marine life. He was very accommodating and our entire group had a fantastic time. It was definitely the highlight of our vacation! Highly recommend this tour with Captain Mark!

Great small boat tour, 6 people. We were able to go to our own sandbar and collect tons of shells. We ended on the way back watching the dolphins playing. Highly recommend!!

Captain Mark was great. He knows the area and he was great with our teenage girls. We got to see many dolphins, learned about the ecosystem, and took home some sand dollars. Was the favorite part of our stay in Hilton head for one of the girls.

Such a wonderful tour! Mark was extremely knowledgeable of the area, and the local wildlife. He was great with kids, and spent time showing my 7 year old all the different sea creatures on the disappearing isle. We were able to collect sea shells galore. We will definitely be returning. I could not recommend this tour enough!

Captain Mark was great! I really enjoyed this private tour to Vanishing Isle. Our family had a great time exploring and hearing about the local area.

Core memories made! Captain Mark was so kind and knowledgeable! Our kids found so many sand dollars! We enjoyed seeing and learning about all of the wildlife and the history of the island. It is clear that Captain Mark loves what he does. I would reccomend this tour over and over! This is a one man business and not a huge corporation. Captain Mark knows his stuff and did everything to make our family vacation enjoyable!

We had a great excursion with Mark! Had fun finding shells and creatures on the sand bar and we spotted lots of dolphins. Mark shared a lot of info about the local ecosystem and even some about the real estate! He took us to a cool natural oyster shell heap as a little bonus on our way back. Definitely a more personal experience than a big boat with a huge group. Highly recommend!

This was our second time taking this cruise and the experience was even better than the first!! FANTASTIC time and Mark is so accommodating and knowledgeable!! Highly recommend!! Thanks Mark for yet another fabulous time!!

This trip is one of the best we have taken! Captain Mark does a wonderful job in engaging everyone on the trip and adding education about the wildlife and the island.

Our adventure to the Vanishing Mile Isle with Captain Mark was definitely a highlight of our week! He was super knowledgable about the area, the waterways and the creatures that we encountered while on the sandbar. We were not rushed and got there before the bigger tour boats so had it all to ourselves for awhile! We were without children (14 and 11 years old) and my parents. My parents stayed on the boat with Capt. Mark and they enjoyed hearing more about the island and all it offers. We also saw several dolphins. We would definitely book this tour again! Thank you, Capt. Mark!

Captain Mark was very friendly. I would recommend this trip for a small group, It was very personal and a great experience.

Our "Vanishing Island Adventure” with Captain Mark was truly unforgettable! He wasn't just a captain; he was an incredible guide, sharing fascinating insights about the marine ecosystem. The Vanishing Island was brimming with life – we found countless sand dollars, vibrant sea stars, and even horseshoe crabs. Captain Mark's informative commentary enhanced every discovery, explaining the unique features and behaviors of each creature. His passion made the entire trip an immersive, educational, and exhilarating experience. Another high was when Captain Mark went out of his way to bring us close to a pod of dolphin. We loved every moment of the trip!

I couldn’t recommend this more to any family in Hilton Head. Mark was the best captain and we had a very personal and exciting time enjoying the sandbar, dolphins and more. He was especially great with the kids and was very knowledgeable about the whole island. 10/10!

WE had h a fun boating experience with Captain Mark. We enjoyed wading in the sand bar, touching sand dollars and star fish, watching dolphins frolic, shelling on oyster island and learning so much about Hilton Head Islands waterways and sea creature. Highly recommend this tour company!

An amazing day out on the water and the Vanishing Island with Captain Mark. We saw pods of dolphin, found incredible shells and marveled at the beauty of the surrounding area. Best of all, Captain Mark provided an insightful perspective on local marine life, geography and beyond. Highly recommend.

Captain Mark and his boat were awesome. We saw a pod of dolphin and happily explored the vanishing island with Captain Mark answering all our questions about the creatures we saw. Such a great way to spend a couple of hours.

It was amazing the captin (mark) made sure we had a great time he took extra time to make sure we seen many dolphins he explained the scenery and things around he was very polite amd knowledgeable of everything he took time to answer everyone including our children's questions he took us to the island part that wasn't over run woth many other people will for sure do it again

10/10 would recommend. Captain Mark was amazing! He kept us alive with a tropical storm on top of us! He made it worthwhile and we still got to see dolphins and clam shells along with crabs! If we ever come back, we 100% will come back. We will also recommend anyone coming to Hilton Head to book him!

Our dolphin tour and stop at the disappearing island with Captain Mark was absolutely phenomenal! He was so knowledgeable, kept safety a priority, and was so fun and patient with our young kiddos. When we come back to HH, we will absolutely rebook with him again. Don't hesitate, reserve your tour with Captain Mark!

Captain mark ensured a wonderful experience for or family with 4 children ages 5-10. On a quiet Sunday morning he knew how to beat the crowds and take us to an unoccupied space with lots of sea life and shells. He is extremely knowledgeable in HHI but also ocean life. As we had time, he took us to see dolphins also! Communication was excellent after booking before the trip date.

Just as described! What a great Captain. Captain Mark went the extra mile to make our experience awesome. He explained everything he did and everywhere we went. He got off the boat and helped our family see different things and even helped find sand dollars and crabs. We saw aligator, crabs, an eel, stingrays and dolphins. We will definitely book again in the future. He offers many other tours and is very knowledgeable. What a great Captain. Thanks Captain Mark!! The Meredith’s.

Was a fun trip for the whole family, as enjoyed seeing wildlife on way to the island and Captain Mark was a great host. Island was fun searching for sand dollars and shells to bring back.

Was a great trip to and from the vanishing island as Captain Mark was informative and entertaining along the way. Island was full of sand dollars and shells and was fun searching for them.

We had a great time out on the water with Captain Mark. We went to the Vanishing Mile (sandbar) and though we didn't find as many shells as we had hoped, we still had a fun time.

Captain Mark has raised the bar!!! Standard cruises or tours will never be a part of our trips. Our go to will be Captain Mark! Hands down the best tour we have had in the last 7 vacations to HHI!!! Highly recommend!!! Boat was clean, he had great facts about the locations and even showed us a few hidden gems of the river on our way out. When we got to the vanishing island - he helped guide us to the best places to walk and what to look for. Everyone had a great time and went home with some treasures as well as great memories. Kudos to Captain Mark!!

Our experience at the vanishing mile isle was the highlight of our trip! The 4 of us found sea life and seashells. Experiencing the dolphins so up close and watching them strand feeding was amazing. You can tell Mark loves his job as Captain and is very informed and attentive to the needs and interests of his clientele.

We had an absolutely amazing time! We had our 3 kids with us, and Mark was great with them, talking to them about dolphins, creatures on the island, and all kinds of facts!! He really let them take their time to explore, and enjoy everything!! This excursion was the highlight of our trip!! Mark was an excellent captain!

The Vanishing Mile excursion with Captain Mark is our favorite thing to do on Hilton Head Island and we are repeat customers. Our vacation time is so precious so taking a few hours out of our time to go out must be used wisely. We have always had such a great time with Captain Mark because of his knowledge, expertise, and ability to make every opportunity a teaching moment with our children about the Low Country ecosystem and creatures they encounter when we are on our excursions with him. We will definitely continue the tradition next year.

My family just had a spectacular experience with Captain Mark! We have been vacationing on Hilton Head Island for 37 years, and over that period we have taken many boat tours and outings focusing on dolphin-watching, sunset cruises, secluded swimming, and more. The trip to Vanishing Mile Isle was a standout of our various adventures! First we went to Vanishing Mile Isle. Captain Mark made sure to get us to the Isle early. Our family had the sand bar to ourselves for almost an hour. We found so many sand dollars and beautiful seashells. We saw crabs and starfish and other shell-inhabiting critters. Mark was knowledgeable about each creature, and really enhanced our experience. When we were about to leave, several other tours had arrived and the Isle was somewhat crowded. The time we had without other tours wonderful, and we really appreciated Capt. Mark’s planning. After leaving the Isle, we set off in search of dolphins. Capt. Mark knew exactly where to take us, and we soon came upon a pod of dolphins. He explained to us that this particular pod was a maternity pod of mother dolphins and their calves. It was absolutely charming to see them surfacing together. At times the dolphins seemed to be performing synchronized swimming for our enjoyment. The truly spectacular part of dolphin watching was that we were able to witness them strand feeding. Three of the dolphins pushed themselves onto the pluff mud bank to corral some fish. Egrets and a heron watched from the banks, hoping for “extra” fish. I have never seen anything like it before, and the dolphins treated us to this performance at least four times. This was a wonderful experience, and will go down as one of my family’s favorite HHI experiences. I know we will be reaching out to Capt. Mark before our next trip!

This was such an amazing experience! We not only got to experience a beautiful scenic view of all areas of the island but learned so much from the Captain about the ecological history of the island and the animal life surrounding it! It was a wonderful experience! We found so many starfish on the island, and sand dollars, and carefully placed the ones still alive back in their natural habitat, which was also a learning experience, as well as stopping along the way to see many dolphins, and check a crab trap! Definitely recommend!

Beautiful night in the water with an excellent tour guide. Captain Mark was outstanding- informative and fun. Highly recommended

Amazing trip. I highly recommend this excursion. Captain Mark was very knowledgeable and patient. Our family had an absolute blast and would love to do this again.

Our family visits Hilton Head almost every year and I was looking for a new experience for my husband and I and our three kiddos ages 6, 10, and 13. Our kids had never been on any boat tour and when I booked this tour I liked that not only would there be the opportunity for dolphin sighting but also for getting off the boat and exploring the vanishing mile isle. This tour exceeded my expectations. Captain Mark made us all feel very welcome from the start. He had a great rapport with the kids and was very informative about the local wildlife and sea creatures. We saw multiple dolphins in several locations and lots of local birds. On Vanishing Mile the scenery was beautiful and my kids had a wonderful time collecting sand dollars and seashells to take home. On the isle Captain Mark also showed us and we had the opportunity to hold live sand dollars, starfish, mollusks, crabs and other creatures. He also showed us an island built up entirely of sea shells. If you have a kid who likes nature and collecting seashells they will love this tour. This was an experience my family won’t forget. We hope to have the chance to do another tour with Captain Mark in the future. On a side note for any parent wondering like I did when booking this tour, there is no bathroom on the boat. You either need to use the portojohn at the dock or walk to the public restroom at the Sunrise cafe before getting on the boat.

Our family had a really great time on this tour! Captain Mark was awesome and taught us a lot about the area, the dolphins and the other ocean creatures and shells we found on the sandbar.

Captain Mark made everyone feel safe and comfortable! We had an awesome time adventuring the disappearing island! Got a ton of sand dollars, saw dolphins and got to walk upon a hill of shells! What a full experience!

Our family had a great time on our vanishing mile tour. Our two young girls were so excited to find so many treasures on the beach and we all enjoyed learning about the local ecosystem from captain mark. It was the highlight of our trip and we will definitely book again!

I wouldn’t miss this! Captain Mark was so friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the area a the sea creatures. We saw dolphins close to our boat. Once we got to the island, Captain Mark helped us find sand dollars, star fish, and other creatures. We had a great time. I can highly recommend,

This was a 10 out of 10 trip! Captain Mark was fantastic and we found so many sand dollars at vanishing island. Also got to see a bunch of dolphins. Very informative and felt safe the whole time! Highly recommend!

Mark is genuinely interested in explaining you and helping you understand the eco system around Hilton head, sand bar is one best experience you can have

Captain Mark took myself, mother and my 2 daughters (6 and 8-years-old) on the Vanishing Mile Isle Beach Tour. It was absolutely incredible, and by far the best day during our trip to Hilton Head. It was late March, so a bit chilly and windy that day, but the trip did not disappoint. We spotted several dolphins and had the Vanishing Island to all to ourselves. We found starfish, sand dollars, adorable sand crabs, and sea shells galore. My girls are still talking about it! Captain Mark also took us to a gorgeous beach made of thousands white oyster shells and the alike. He taught us so much about the Hilton Head area, the wildlife / landscape, and even the local restaurants. It was super easy and relaxing under his care, and we will absolutely book another tour with him on our next visit. We’ll 100% recommend Cross Island Cruises!

Excellent trip to disappearing island. We watched dolphins play, collected sand dollars and saw amazing sea life (starfish, crabs, mollusks). Highly recommend this private trip with Mark, my family loved it!

It was a great experience for the whole family! Mark our guide was very informative about the different kinds of shells and different species of animals. My daughter even got to hold a jellyfish which we didn’t even know there were kinds that aren’t dangerous! Overall great experience and great guide in Mark thanks again!