Gould's Inlet

I had seen Gould's Inlet mentioned in the pocket guide. While out driving around, we decided to stop by and check it out. Good thing we did. The view was breathtaking! It seemed so vast with the sand and shoals stretching on for what seemed like forever and meeting the bright blue sky at the horizon. We even saw a great white heron stopping to hang out in one of the pools of water left behind by the falling tide. It was really amazing going back the next morning for the sunrise. It was high tide and I couldn't believe the dramatic transformation.

The Georgia coast is part of the Georgia bight, which is sort of like a giant funnel. Georgia is at the center of the funnel and at high tide, water is pushed by the shape of the coastline and a 6-8 ft. tidal change occurs. At low tide, the sandbars (shoals) appear and the waves virtually disappear. As the tide rolls in, the sandbars are covered and the waves get bigger and bigger. Water eventually covers most of the beach, all of the beach in some places. It is fascinating to watch. Visitors quickly learn to check the tide charts daily.