Charleston Kayaking with Dolphins

Landon and I got a pair of kayaks about three years ago as a way to

explore the waters around Charleston

. We had to hang them up (literally and figuratively) when I got pregnant because I could barely walk, much less paddle then.

And it goes without saying that kayaking isn't exactly conducive to having a young baby. 

Those poor kayaks haven't gotten out of the garage much in the last year and a half, so Landon and I were excited to take them to Edisto last week.

Landon's mom and dad agreed to watch Britton for a few hours while he and I took the kayaks down the Edisto River. We put in at the very end of the island where the Edisto River spills out into the Atlantic. Our original plan was to paddle up the river until we got tired. 

That plan was totally shot when we saw the dolphins. (I'm always willing to change plans for a dolphin!)

We were launching the kayaks when a pod of dolphins came swimming by the beach about 80 feet off shore. 

We followed the pod out into the mouth of the Edisto and found

more

 dolphins. No joke, there were at least four or five pods surrounding us. 

It was so cool--the dolphins were RIGHT THERE! They kept coming up around the kayaks and slapping their fins against the water. They were so close that we could hear the

pfft

 sound when they came up for air. 

By the time all of the dolphins had headed off to wherever they were going, Landon and I were pretty far out into the inlet. I tried to punk out about halfway back to shore because my arms were so tired! Landon attempted to tow me, but I got my second burst of energy and plowed back towards the shore. 

I really couldn't have asked for a better kayaking date with Landon. The fact that meeting the dolphin pods was spontaneous made it all the better.