Just like its Golden Isle neighbor to the south, Jekyll Island, snorkeling in St Simons Island is not suitable due to its location on the mouth of Saltilla and East Rivers, both of which carry significant sediment and cause low visibility in the nearby waters.
The Golden Isles of Georgia represent the finest seaside destinations that the Peach State has to offer. These four barrier islands off of Georgia’s Atlantic coast provide miles of coastline for lounging, fishing, golfing, and sailing. The biggest of the Golden Isles is St Simons Island, located right in the middle among the isles and next to city of Brunswick. It is the most developed island among the Golden Isles, with significant residential and commercial areas on the southern half of the island. The northern half of the island is primarily marshland and swamps, with Cannon’s Point Preserve anchoring the green pastures in the middle and King and Prince Golf Course at the end.
The island is full of history, culture, and activities. However, snorkeling in St Simons Island produces challenges as its location on the mouth of Saltilla River and East River means significant sediments flow through and create low visibility in the waters. The sediments from Saltill and East Rivers impact underwater activities all down the Georgia coast, as far as Tybee Island. Therefore, it’s best to enjoy the beautiful beaches, golf courses, and fishing during your time here. After all, the island was voted TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best for 2023!
St Simons Island, Georgia Travel Profile
Closest Major Airports: Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, Brunswick, GA (BQK) – 15 miles away, 20 minute drive
- St Simons Island is home to McKinnon Field Airport, but it does not have any commercial flights. The next closest airport is Brunswick Golden Isles Airport in Brunswick. It has one commercial flight, a Delta flight connects to Atlanta. The alternatives are Jacksonville and Savannah, but those two are about an hour away. However, both airports do not have a plethora of flights as well. Unless you wish to visit Jacksonville or Savannah, both wonderful, highly underrated destinations, best to fly Delta and have that layover in Atlanta.
Closest Major Metro Area: Brunswick, GA
- Brunswick is right next to St Simons Island, just over the Mackay River. The city is on a peninsula which juts out, similar to Charleston, and is small with a population of about 100,000. Downtown Brunswick provides an old Georgia feel that is reminiscent of other coastal towns such as Savannah. The city is also home to numerous breweries for a good time. While St Simons Island has all the amenities you may need, Brunswick is still worth a gander during your visit.
Recommended Method of Transportation to Destination: Fly into Brunswick Golden Isles Airport and Drive to St Simons Island
- Unless you are spending some time exploring Jacksonville or Savannah, it is best to fly into Brunswick Golden Isles Airport for quick access. St Simons Island is easily accessible via Interstate-95 from the alternative airports, but there is still a significant distance. From BQK, it’s an easy drive through the town of Brunswick and then cross FJ Torras Causeway onto the island. It will be ideal to rent a car as rideshare options are limited around here and you may be keen on taking a hike at Fort Federica or going golfing up north at the King and Prince Golf Club.
Introduction
St Simons Island has a rich history due to its strategic location, serving as an outpost from the well-preserved Fort Federica for the Spanish, British, and the Americans. The island became famous for its cotton plantations during the antebellum, and its signature fiber, the Sea Island Cotton. Some of the island’s dark history remains standing, with plantations and slave holdings scattered all around. The Civil War destroyed the island’s plantation economy, which also marked the transition to the tourism-centric economy that we see today.
In addition to two world-class golf courses and the aforementioned historical attractions, the island is home to a wide variety of wildlife that makes for great viewing. Most of the island is marshland, which provides the ideal ecosystem for animals, birds, and marine life to thrive. St Simons Island is a common layover point for migrating birds and many animals are commonly sighted around. On the southern end of the island, where the beaches and the pier are located, beachgoers can find shells, crabs, and occasionally see the rare dolphin sighting. While surfers are around, as the waters sometime experience strong currents, but there won’t be frequent sightings of snorkeling in St Simons Island.
How is Snorkeling in St Simons Island, GA?
This 17-square mile island off of the coast of Georgia represents the perfect combination of the natural and man-made beauty of Southeastern United States. The year-round warm weather provides the environment for fantastic golfing and the marshlands on the outer edges of the island allows for some fantastic wildlife watching. The East Beach is the island’s main beach, with miles of sand suitable for crawling crabs and conch shells. The waves, while unpredictable, are muted by offshore sandbars so generally aren’t as strong as you may expect.
There are plenty of activities for visitors to do on the island. However, the snorkeling in St Simons Island isn’t great. There are multiple rivers, including the East River, Altamaha River, and Mackay Rivers, that flow out to the Atlantic Ocean around the island. These rivers are all blackwater rivers, which flow through swamps and marshlands, which carry significant sediment along the way to its mouth. These sediments eventually settle in the ocean, which makes the water murky resulting in low visibility.
As noted above, similar to its southern neighbor, Jekyll Island, there are sandbars off the shore of St Simons Island. These act as buffers for waves, which means the waters can be calm in majority of the beaches. So East Beach actually has some good swimming and you may see people waddling by the shore. But even with the calm waters, you won’t see anything while snorkeling in St Simons Island due to the low visibility.
Final Word:
With the numerous rivers emptying out to the Atlantic Ocean causing low visibility, snorkeling in St Simons Island is not recommended. Thankfully, there are plenty of activities to do and beaches to walk on the island. Enjoy your time in the excellent resorts around the island, go golfing at the championship courses, and go wildlife watching at Cannons Point Preserve, or experience some history at Fort Federica National Monument. All of these options are superb and subpar snorkeling should not take you away from them.
Snorkeling in St Simons Island Rating: 1/5 Snorkels – Yuck, Do Something Else!
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