GUIDEPOSTS

Pelicans Return to Crab Bank

September 18, 2025

For the first time since 2017, Eastern Brown Pelicans have returned to nest on Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary in Charleston Harbor.

It’s a quiet triumph for a place that almost disappeared. When Crab Bank was rebuilt in 2021, terns, skimmers, and gulls quickly reclaimed the shoreline. The pelicans, however, waited. They needed more than sand—they needed cover. With patience, protective shrubs rooted themselves into the new island. Only then did the pelicans come home.

Last week, Capt. Chris counted more than 50 pelicans spread across the spit of sand, including dozens of downy white fledglings tucked under their parents’ wings. To watch a new generation of pelicans grow on Crab Bank feels like witnessing a promise kept: that habitat restored can become habitat reborn.

Why Crab Bank Matters

Crab Bank is one of only a handful of seabird sanctuaries along the South Carolina coast. Each summer, its sandy shoreline shelters hundreds of birds like American Oystercatchers, Least Terns and Black Skimmers that rely on it for nesting. Without places like Crab Bank, these birds have nowhere safe to raise their young.

Rebuilding this sanctuary was a collective effort by partners, agencies, and advocates who believed that seabirds deserved a future here. The return of the pelicans is proof that their work is paying off.

See It for Yourself

On our three-hour kayak tour to Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary, we paddle offshore at a respectful distance, observing without disturbing. From the water, you’ll hear the island come alive—pelican bills clapping, skimmers cutting across the surface, terns diving for baitfish. Along the way, our guides share the story of Crab Bank and the ongoing fight to protect seabirds in the Lowcountry.

It’s one of those rare chances to see conservation in action, to witness resilience feathered in brown and white.

Protecting the Places We Explore

Every tour to Crab Bank helps fuel the work of the Coastal Expeditions Foundation, which supports seabird conservation and other wild initiatives throughout the Lowcountry.

The pelicans’ return reminds us: if we give wild places the chance to heal, they will.

Photos: Anne Jennings
Learn more about our seabird conservation efforts: Coastal Expeditions Foundation Seabird Conservation