Monday, November 21, 2016

Ossabaw Island, GA


It was very cold when we left Beaufort this morning. When the sun came out, it was warm and beautiful. The water was calm and deep, there were endless marshlands, and plenty of dolphin. It was a great day! We stopped at Ossabaw Island for the night.

Ossabaw Island is not open to the general public. Normally, permission is required by the state of Georgia to visit the island. Thank goodness Al granted us permission to visit this island. It really is beautiful here!

Ossabaw Island is approximately twenty miles by water south from the historic downtown of the city of Savannah. One of the largest of Georgia's barrier islands, Ossabaw contains 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) of wooded uplands with freshwater ponds and 16,000 acres (6,500 ha) of marshlands[2] interlaced with tidal creeks. Located between Wassaw Island and the Ogeechee River on the north and St. Catherines Island on the south, the island is not linked to the mainland by bridge or causeway. At 26,000 acres (11,000 ha), it is the third-largest barrier island off the coast of Georgia.

As the Spanish explored the coast of the Americas in the 16th century, livestock such as pigs were often left on islands as a future food source.[1] This was the origin of the pigs that would become the Ossabaw breed. Over the following hundreds of years, the population of these feral pigs remained isolated on Ossabaw, and there was very little introduction of other domestic breeds.[1] Since 1978 the island has been owned by the State and managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as a preserve.[2]


Sunrise in Beaufort

Love the big trees with Spanish Moss

ParrIs Island


Not sure why the birds were following us.

Fuel stop


Endless marshlands in Georgia

Entering Newell Creek to get to Ossabaw Island

The dock at Ossabaw Island












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