By Tim McDonald

National Golf Editor, Golf Publisher Syndications

updated 1:08 p.m. ET April 17, 2006

HILTON HEAD, S.C. - A few minutes past the Harbor Town lighthouse, a couple of hundred yards out in Calibogue Sound, our small motorboat idled down. We had seen a small group of excited kayakers closer to shore, and we had a pretty good idea of what generated the excitement.

We cut the engine to idle and cruised the area slowly. Sure enough, within minutes a fin appeared. Then another. Then a half dozen. One fin in particular tailed us for a few seconds. It disappeared briefly underwater, and then up popped the head of an adult dolphin, no more than a foot from the starboard bow. I could have reached out and patted it on the snout.

Like most dolphins, this one seemed to be smiling broadly, as if it wanted to take the steering wheel and join the cruise or - more likely - in anticipation of a free meal. They haven't yet learned that giving them handouts is now frowned on. Perhaps nowhere else in nature is the human-animal encounter so hilarious or good-willed than a meeting with a dolphin in its own house.

Hilton Head, of course, is mostly about golf. The island is home to more than 20 golf courses, with many more in nearby Bluffton and surrounding islands.

The vast numbers of vacationers who come here do so with their clubs in the trunk. But for those non-golfing spouses, children or guests, there is a ton of stuff to do on and near the island that doesn't involve the joys and frustrations of the game. Not surprisingly, most of them involve water and meeting one of nature's most genial creatures.

Dolphin watching
There are different ways to get close to the dolphins. We chose a small motorboat because we could cover more ground. Numerous outfits rent boats big and small around the island. Your best bet for successful spotting is Calibogue Sound south of the lighthouse, though dolphins can also be seen in the lower reaches of Broad Creek.

Another, slower and more relaxing way is with kayaks. There's no intrusive motor noise, although you won't be able to cover as much ground or explore multiple areas.

Kayaking
Kayaks aren't just for communing with Flipper, of course. They're also a great way to get out on the water and actually hear and see the sights and sounds of the Intracoastal Waterway and other bodies of water that surround the island.

There are kayaking expeditions of just about every kind here, including fishing, bird-watching, watching the full moon and taking in the fireworks at Shelter Cove. One outfit, Outside Hilton Head, runs kayakers to deserted Page Island for overnight camping trips.

Sailing
Advanced Sail Inc. Catamarans, Cheers Charter Inc., H20 Sports and Schooner Welcome offer various sailing experiences, including romantic cruises, sunset sails and, of course, dolphin-watching. Charters range from 45-foot sloops to 53-foot catamarans to a 62-foot wooden schooner where you can take the wheel and help raise the sails. You can also parasail or rent jet skis.

Fishing
If you'd rather catch a marine animal than smile at one, options abound. This is an island, remember, replete with tidal lagoons both saltwater and brackish, estuaries, the waterway, smaller creeks and, obviously, the Atlantic Ocean.

There is serious saltwater fishing, both inshore on Calibogue Sound and offshore on the Atlantic. You can try for king and Spanish mackerel, cobia, barracuda, amberjack, tarpon and even sharks.

You can go it alone or try charters, ranging from the 58-foot Viking, docked at Harbor Town, or smaller craft from the Whipple Charter Boat Co., which specializes in bottom fishing for grouper, snapper, red drum, sheepshead, flounder and black sea bass.

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