Personal Injury Attorneyin Hilton Head, SC.

Have you ever gone on a fishing charter from Hilton Head Island?

If so, your charter captain may have been one of eight that have been globally recognized after receiving FishingBooker’s Angler’s Choice award three times in a row.

The fishing around the island is reportedly one of the best areas in the state, and some of the best is for fish such as redfish, tarpon, cobia, bass, red snapper, sheepshead, sea trout and various shark species, according to hiltonhead.com.

Eight charter fishing captains from the island are reportedly among the “best in the world,” reported FishingBooker, an online marketplace that specializes in booking charter boats for recreational fishing and reports to be the world’s largest platform connecting anglers and fishing guides.

Every quarter, the platform announces its Angler’s Choice Award to account for the seasonality of the fishing business.

The recognition of this award “acknowledges charter operators for their exceptional customer service, reliability, and quality of fishing trips. Notably, some captains demonstrate consistent excellence across multiple seasons.”

However, this is reportedly the first time that the recognition of this award is given to guides who have won the award three times in a row.

Out of 7,242 captains worldwide that partner with FishingBooker, only 576, equaling 8% in total, were recognized for their excellence three separate times. Eight of these captains run their trips from Hilton Head Island, according to the booking site.

Out of all captains on the island that partner with FishingBooker, 23.5% of all captains received this annual Angler’s Choice recognition, which totaled to eight out of 34 in total and placed these charter captains above the national average.

The eight fishing charter captains on Hilton Head Island that received the Angler’s Choice Award three times in a row, according to FishingBooker, include:

To be eligible for the award, charter operators are required to have received a 4.8 or higher out of a 5 star review rating from 10 or more verified reviews, a 98% reliability score and response rate as well as having a full business verification over the past 12 months. A triple Angler’s Choice Award winner would have had to meet this criteria three times in a row.

This story was originally published May 18, 2023, 8:00 AM.

Did you know that several shark species inhabit the waters around Beaufort County?

Although the species and their populations are ever-changing throughout the year, depending on the season, some are almost always nearby.

Although this may alarm some, it’s actually not as big of a concern as many may assume.

Just as sharks inhabit the ocean, including the waters around Beaufort County, some may find themselves in nearby rivers or even come close to the surf to feed.

Some species, such as the great white shark, are generally more of a winter species around Hilton Head Island, whereas others are predominantly only around in the summer months.

Depending on the season and how far from shore you may be, there could be between 20 to 40 different shark species you could encounter. However, if you’re only considering what you could come across within a few miles from shore throughout the summer months, this brings it to approximately 13 or 14 species of sharks in the area, says Bryan Frazier, the principal investigator of shark research for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

As for the shark species you may encounter in the surf, these could include blacktips, finetooths, bonnethead, spinner sharks or lemon sharks.

These species can generally be seen feeding in “pretty shallow water,” Frazier said.

Also occasionally seen swimming in the surf, the Atlantic sharpnose is one of the most common species found off the coast of South Carolina and many are caught as a result of surf fishing from the beach. The Atlantic sharpnose is one of the smaller species of shark.

Some of the bigger shark species, such as great white sharks, bull sharks, hammerheads and tiger sharks, can come close to shore but are generally not seen from the beach unless one is brought in after being hooked from surf fishing. However, they do feed in the nearby coastal waters.

If you do see a shark in the water, Frazier says there’s typically no need to panic.

“They are there most of the time. We don’t see them because the water is murky, but they are there. You know, that’s where they are supposed to be. They live in the ocean and they feed in that surf zone because there is bait in that surf zone,” Frazier said.

Blacktips and other sharks are generally seen in the surf around Hilton Head, Beaufort County and other coastal regions of South Carolina, feeding on small bait fish, such as mullet and menhaden, which are common in the surf zone. Whiting and small red drum are also common bait fish for certain varieties of shark that inhabit nearby surf zones.

As for bonnethead sharks, they can generally be seen in the surf feeding on blue crabs.

If you take notice of a shark feeding in the surf, it most likely may be a blacktip shark, which is easily identifiable by its black-tipped dorsal fin.

In the coastal waters surrounding Hilton Head Island and the rest of Beaufort County, bigger species like bull sharks are more prevalent in the deeper parts of the sound and river areas as there is more food in these locations. Fortunately, these are areas where people typically don’t go swimming. These species of bigger, more-lengthy sharks can include great whites, bull sharks, big tiger sharks, great hammerheads, scalloped hammerheads, lemon sharks, spinner sharks, sandbar sharks and blacktip sharks, according to Frazier.

The entirety of South Carolina’s coastal waters have all of the big sharks that can be found globally, depending on the time of year.

This story was originally published April 27, 2023, 7:00 AM.

It’s no secret that mosquitoes can be quite the nuisance across South Carolina.

Have you ever paid attention to what they look like?

You might have come across an Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus).

This mosquito species has a black body with white stripes and a single white stripe running the length of its back.

It is known to be an aggressive biter and, in most cases, will choose to feed during the day on humans, animals and birds as their ideal hosts. Animals such as squirrels, dogs and deer are at risk for getting bitten.

The Asian tiger mosquito originates from Southeast Asia. However, in the last 50 years, the species has spread to Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East, according to SC.gov.

“The species was first detected in North America in a shipment of used tires at the Port of Houston in 1985 and have since spread throughout the southern United States. Because of its aggressive expansion, the Global Invasive Species Database lists it as one of the world’s worst invasive species,” the site states.

The male Asian tiger mosquitoes will only feed on plant juices and do not bite, meaning they do not feed on a host, reported the Illinois Department of Public Health; whereas, the females will seek blood to help their eggs develop.

A female mosquito may bite the same person several times or move from person to person before the urge to feed on blood is satiated, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Approximately four or five days after feeding on the necessary blood for egg production and development, the female mosquito will lay her eggs just above the surface of the water in areas such as a branch, old bucket, tire or anything substantial nearby. Then, once rain covers the eggs with water, the mosquito larvae will hatch.

Due to this species of mosquito only breeding in artificial, wet environments, other areas may include a neighborhood rain gutter, bird baths, flower pots, barrels, boats, tarps, garden pools or any other artificial pool of water.

These mosquitoes only need about a bottle cap full of water to lay their eggs, which can even sometimes survive being dried out, noted Zachary Smith, a licensed pest control professional from PestDude.com.

“The average life expectancy of an adult mosquito is about three weeks. It does not fly far, usually less than 500 feet. Therefore, if you have this mosquito, most likely it is coming from containers nearby, detailed the Public Health Foundation.

Although the bite of an Asian tiger mosquito is not particularly irritating aside from some itching and redness, they are persistent biters.

These mosquitoes are attracted to dark-colored clothing, perspiration, carbon dioxide and certain other odors, IDPH states.

While you may not think much of a bug bite, these insects can carry and transmit quite a few diseases.

The Asian Tiger Mosquito can transmit diseases such as West Nile virus, Zika virus, Chikungunya, and Dengue fever to humans as well as heartworm to pets, according to the PHF.

“One of the key characteristics that makes the Asian tiger mosquito a concern is its ability to serve as a disease vector and transmit a number of diseases,” reported PestDude.

Aside from eradicating any sources of water around your home and yard, measures you can take to prevent these mosquitoes from breeding nearby or biting you can include using mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, continued PestDude.

Bug spray is a good way to repel mosquitoes from yourself and the area. Any DEET product such as OFF, a natural spray such as No Natz or an area repellent such as a Thermacell will help prevent mosquito bites during outdoor activities.

As for ways to prevent getting an infestation altogether, the PHF reports that no water equals no mosquitoes.

To eliminate places where mosquitoes lay eggs, according to the PHF:

A shark falling from the sky sounds like the plot of a movie on the Sci-Fi Channel. In Hilton Head, resident Valerie Pallitta’s case, it might be a reality. Though, experts say it’s most likely a catfish that fell in her Sea Pines home’s courtyard.

During an April downpour, more than just rain fell on her property. She said bald eagles dropped a two-foot long dead shark into her courtyard.

“I hear this big thud, and my dogs went crazy,” she said. The video Pallitta took is grainier quality than the actual ‘Sharknado’ movies. It’s blurry and difficult to see details of what the fish looks like.

It shows a gray fish laying with bloody talon marks inside her fenced-in courtyard and birds sitting in a tree above. Pallitta said she saw one adolescent eagle with brown feathers and one mature bald eagle with white feathers and yellow beak.

“I opened the door and I’m like, ‘Is that a fish?’ and then I’m like, ‘Oh my god, it’s a shark,” she said. “As soon as I opened the door, I could smell it.”

Pallitta, who has lived on Hilton Head for 30 years, said she thought it was a shark because of it’s flat head. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources shark biologist Bryan Frazier said it’s probably a catfish.

He said the proportions are generally wrong on the front half of the fish because no pectoral, or side, fins are evident. The second back, or dorsal, fin looks larger than the first, which doesn’t occur in any shark species, according to Frazier.

He also said the tail looks more like that of a fish.

“If it was a shark, the only possible species would be a lemon shark, and their young won’t be born until next month,” Frazier said, explaining that he’s 95% sure the fish isn’t a shark.

Pallitta called her neighbor, Jim Paris, to help move the fish.

“(The birds) couldn’t figure out how to get the fish out of my courtyard because their wingspan is so big,” she said. “They would have to helicopter in over the fence.”

Paris said he moved it with a shovel to their street where a swarm of birds, but not the bald eagles, picked at it until it was gone.

“I rescued her from a shark,” he laughed.

Due to the poor video quality, DNR bird conservation coordinator Amy Tegeler was unable to tell what the birds were, but said that bald eagles eat fish and generally don’t discriminate by species.

“Bald eagles are more likely to eat fish that are near the surface of the water since they don’t dive,” Tegeler said. “They will also pick up sick (or) dead fish that were just floating.”

This story was originally published April 19, 2023, 6:00 AM.

Each year, millions flock to Hilton Head Island for a luxurious, family and fun-filled getaway.

Aside from visiting the island’s 12 miles of pristine, white sand beaches, going on a dolphin tour, completing an escape room or biking throughout the island, there are many other ways to make lifelong memories on Hilton Head.

Want to see a bird’s eye view of Hilton Head Island? Travel high in the sky with Hilton Head Helicopters and view the island from the clouds. The company offers nine different tours that will certainly make for a thrilling memory for years to come. Budget-friendly options are also featured, such as the “Ocean View” tour that begins at just $39 per person.

Many tours will take you over different parts of the island, but other options are available as well. These options include tours that will take you over Old Town Bluffton, remote islands and downtown Savannah or a remote island populated by over 3,000 monkeys.

To view available tours, get more information or book your flight time, interested parties may call 843-505-7182, email reservations@flyhhi.com or go online at https://www.flyhhi.com/helicopter-tours/.

Rent a yacht from Hilton Head Yacht Charter and spend a day on the open ocean from Hilton Head Island. The company offers private day charters, sunset yacht charters, on the water dining and a full day yacht tour, which is a combined experience of the prior two services. Guests may choose their guests, activities, menus, and everything else available. Cocktails, water sports, lounging, butler service and other amenities all await those that choose to spend the day on one of the company’s yachts.

Interested guests may call call or text 781-254-3584, email concierge@hiltonheadyachtcharter.com, fill out the Interactive Cruise Preference Form or view the available charters online at https://hiltonheadyachtcharter.com/cruises/.

The charter headquarters can be found within the Shelter Cove Harbour Shops at 1 Shelter Cove Lane on Hilton Head Island.

Take your family, friends or other half horseback riding through the island’s south end with Lawton Stables. The beloved stable has been named as a ‘must do’ on Hilton Head by many and is a place the entire family can enjoy. Lawton Stables’ trail rides allow guests to fully immerse themselves in the Lowcountry environment as they make their way through trails in over 600 acres of the Sea Pines Forest Preserve.

Pony rides are available for children aged 7 and under and there is a free animal farm with several small animals to feed and for everyone to enjoy.

Further trail ride information can be found online at https://www.lawtonstables.com/information.

Reservations may be made over the phone at 843-671-2586 between 1-5 p.m. daily or online at https://www.lawtonstables.com/book-online.

Ahoy, scallywags! Become a pirate by spending the day with Pirates of Hilton Head. Join them on the island’s first and only custom pirate ship as your kids will become part of a pirate crew throughout the entirety of your journey. Everyone on board will get their own pirate name, learn how to talk like a pirate and search for treasure on the Hilton Head Pirate Cruise. The 1.5 hour cruise has a $39 admission and $10 admission for infants.

For more information and to book your adventure, go online and visit https://www.piratesofhiltonhead.com/pirate-ship-of-hilton-head/ or call 843-363- 7000.

If you’re looking to continue your pirate’s way of life, continue your journey to Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf of Hilton Head to follow in the footsteps of the pirates Blackbeard and Captain Kidd as you read along to their stories while engaging in an immersive miniature golf experience. During each of the pirate’s courses, you’ll get to climb a mountain or explore hidden caves.

Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf of Hilton Head is located at 8 Marina Side Drive from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily.

Hang out with the Mermaid of Hilton Head or even become a mermaid yourself! Grab your family and embark on the mermaid encounter tour. Although the tour doesn’t begin until mid-May, it’s best to plan ahead. This 75-minute tour provides children with tattoos and magic name tags that grow wildflowers if planted, bubble wands, an opportunity to meet a mermaid, a restroom aboard a cover boat and other opportunities throughout the tour.

For more mermaid fun, travel to the Mermaid of Hilton Head retail store, located at Tanger 2 Outlets, or become a mermaid with a special mermaid experience and professional photo shoot. Both children and adults can become a mermaid and may choose between options such as the beach at sunset, an indoor beach experience or a bachelorette experience.

This story was originally published April 22, 2023, 8:00 AM.