A few weeks ago, I led a group of people on a sunrise tour at Gould’s Inlet. Coincidentally, photographer Tim Rude of Brand Fiercely was there too. His gear was set up for taking pictures of the sunrise and whatever wildlife there was to photograph. On a whim, I asked him if he’d mind taking a few pictures of me and my group, and Tim graciously agreed. We exchanged contact information, and then we both continued with our morning plans. A few days later, he sent me some of the photos he took.
The group prepares for their paddle 
A moment of introspection 
One of the boys making sure he’s all set 
Kayaks lined up and ready to go 
I often use a paddleboard, even when my clients are in kayaks 
The whole group just before we launched 
Paddleboarding in the pre-dawn twilight 
A shrimp boat in the distance, me in the foreground 
The group’s fearless leader 
The water at dawn is often smooth as glass 
Paddling into the marsh, ready to explore and discover
Of all the excursion options Kingfisher Paddleventures offers, our sunrise tour options are arguably my favorite! Although it can be tough for me to wake up so early, the reward is immeasurable. No other time of day is quite as peaceful with quite the same feel. I honestly think a dawn kayaking trip is the perfect to start to the day!
Sunrise Tour Information
If you choose to join us for a kayak or paddleboard sunrise tour, then you have a good chance of seeing some of the area’s abundant wildlife before the day’s heat gets too intense. Many of the birds, fish, and even dolphins are actively feeding in the early morning, which means they’re moving about in plain sight. Some of the animals we see include roseate spoonbills, osprey, mink, horseshoe crabs, blue crabs, dolphins, manatee, terrapin, ghost crabs, egrets, herons, tarpon, and black skimmers.
All of our sunrise tours launch during the pre-dawn twilight, approximately half an hour before the sun comes up. Consequently, the start time for our tours moves throughout the year. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions.
About Photographer Tim Rude
If you like Tim’s pictures of our sunrise tour, you can see more of his photography at brandfiercely.com. Tim is very knowledgeable about the Golden Isles and has taken many beautiful pictures of the area, its wildlife, and its people. Consequently, we feel sure you’ll like his work as much as we do!
