Mermaid Encounter in Hilton Head Island

Mermaid sightings are rare anywhere else

Tales of a Mermaid encounter have been going on long before our time. Imagine being Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson, or John Smith, setting foot on American soil as a pioneer. After a long journey at sea, it’s not hard to understand why they had mermaid sightings. Descriptions were given of a woman swimming with a fish tail and long green hair.

If you’ve ever read Hans Christian Andersen’s book, the Little Mermaid, you can easily imagine yourself having a mermaid encounter of your own.

Mermaid sightings historically have also taken place in the Town of Kiryat Yam, in Israel, and fishermen have also reported not only mermaid sightings, but mermaids getting caught in their fishing nets!

With so many mermaid sightings long ago, it is odd that now there are more people out on the water, and less mermaid encounters. Until now, that is!

Our Mermaid Encounter Boat Tour brings this aging folklore to life in a fun and magical way. First you will board the boat and meet Pinky Plankton and Sailor, two of our characters who are going to introduce you to a real mermaid. Then, off you go out into the wilderness of Hilton Head Island!

Children will often get excited and point out what they believe is a mermaid sighting, but most of the time it will turn out to be a dolphin. Hilton Head has over 170 residential dolphins who live there full time, so dolphin sightings are fairly common.

While in search of a mermaid, Pinky Plankton will tell you the story about Mermaid Nina, how she came to live on Hilton Head, and tricks to help find her! While Pinky Plankton is telling her story, Sailor will continue along seeking a mermaid encounter.

Then, when you find Mermaid Nina, it is not like other mermaid sightings. She will swim over to the boat and talk to you about sea life and how to protect it. Many times, there will be a dolphin or two swimming around her as they now consider her part of their pod.

Mermaid Nina will quiz you on the information you just learned from Pinky Plankton, and once you prove that you know a lot about the ocean, you will earn your O’fish’al Ocean Ambassador Badge!

The important title of O’fish’al Ocean Ambassador doesn’t end there, though. You have to beware, because sometimes when Mermaid Nina is talking with guests on the boat, Pinky Plankton, and Sailor, Professor Al G will sneak up behind her and try to capture her to put her in a tank.

Mermaid Nina, of course, does not want to live in a tank. Who would? Mermaid sightings would become a tale only told by John Smith, Henry Hudson, Christopher Columbus, and Hans Christian Andersen if that were the case. No mermaid sighting is magical if it happens in a tank. Wild mermaid sightings are much more exciting and adventurous!

Therefore, you have to scare off the evil villain, and only Pinky Plankton and Sailor can teach you how! If you’re successful, Mermaid Nina gets to stay living in the wild with her wild dolphin pod.

This Mermaid Encounter Boat Tour is a truly unique, one-of-a-kind experience that brings magic, education, fantasy, and adventure together to create a fulfilling journey for our guests.

Each Mermaid Encounter is 75 minutes long and they leave from Hilton Head Harbor Marina. The boat is fully covered so you don’t have to worry about sunburn while you are in search of mermaid sightings.

With such a unique experience at your fingertips, you’re not going to want to miss out on this adventure. The only thing missing from this mermaid sighting is long green hair, but we more than make up for that with our characters, music, education, and wildlife! What are you waiting for? Sailor and Pinky Plankton can’t wait to take you out on the water so you can experience your very own Mermaid Encounter and meet their dearest friend, Mermaid Nina.