While brown isn’t the prettiest color on the spectrum, it’s one that’s important here in the Golden Isles. New visitors are often surprised to learn that the murky brown seawater surrounding Georgia’s barrier islands isn’t “dirty” water. This sweet tea colored water actually contributes to the delicious appeal of our shrimp. Stirred up sediment and tannins leached from decaying organic material, such as the spartina grasses, leaves, and tree bark that wash offshore from the swamps and marshes give the water its brown coloring. Sedimentary deposits from the large rivers here that flow into the ocean make the seabed near our shore muddy, rather than sandy. Storms churning off the coast stir that sediment up, making the mix darker and more obvious, but that sweet tea color is a consistent trait of our waters, no matter the weather. Although this means you won’t get a pic of a pristine turquoise paradise for the 'gram, it’s not a bad thing at all, because the water is rich in nutrients that are ideal for our wildlife. Fish, crustaceans, and other sea life are plentiful, which also attracts a wide variety of birds like brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, herons, and egrets. It provides a healthy diet for other animals too. It’s well known that locally caught sweet white Wild Georgia Shrimp are in high demand in the seafood market because they have the best flavor. They’re caught with nets right out of their natural environment off our shores and not farm-raised or altered in any way.
Tree Spirit on St. Simons Island
So if you ever find yourself wishing these barrier islands had the clear waters and white sands of the Gulf, find a spot to eat while overlooking the water at sunset, order a large glass of sweet tea and some peel and eat shrimp or Low Country Boil. Take in the picturesque view of the shrimp boats on the horizon with birds fluttering above and dolphins frolicking in their wake. Marvel at the beauty of the long-legged egrets fishing in the marsh and the pelicans perched on their posts, as if posing for the pictures you’re sure to take. While you sip your sweet tea, consider whether you’d trade that delicious distinctive Southern flavor for a plain glass of water even if it did look prettier.
