This Mysterious Island In South Carolina Is Filled With Wild Primates But Off-Limits To Visitors

The Sea Islands in South Carolina's Lowcountry offer unmatched adventures across unique and stunning destinations. Of course, Hilton Head is a popular spot known for its family-friendly beaches and pristine beauty. If you want to get off the beaten path, there are unsung destinations where you can get away from the crowds, like Hunting Island, and its undeveloped neighbor, St. Phillips Island, both protected state parks. But there's another island in the Lowcountry that is even wilder and more untamed, one where monkeys, not humans, are the primates in charge: Morgan Island, commonly known as "Monkey Island."

Morgan Island is located in St. Helena Sound in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It's just over an hour north of Savannah, Georgia, and two hours south of Charleston, South Carolina. About 45 years ago, the undeveloped island became home to a colony of rhesus monkeys, which were relocated from a research facility in Puerto Rico. 

Despite its colloquial name, only about 10% of Morgan Island's 4,000 acres is inhabited by the monkey colony. But before you get your hopes up of living out your childhood fantasies of a Jane Goodall-esque adventure, know that it's illegal to actually visit Monkey Island, as it is carefully controlled to protect the free-ranging colony. Still, there is plenty of monkeying around to do in the area, and many visitors explore the island by water in hopes of spotting the primates in their now well-established habitat.

Morgan Island was just like any other undeveloped Sea Island along South Carolina's ACE Basin, one of the Atlantic Coast's largest undeveloped stretches of wetlands. That is, until 1979, when the Caribbean Primate Research Center facility in La Parguera, Puerto Rico, relocated a breeding colony of over 1,400 rhesus monkeys to the island under the care of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Interestingly, the monkeys, who had established social groups before their relocation, were split up for the move, but quickly reunited with their groups on Morgan Island. Today, female monkeys outnumber males three-to-one, and the colony seems to have taken quite well to the island, having increased its population to around 4,000. 

However, rumors quickly spread throughout the Lowcountry about what sort of mysterious research was really being done on Monkey Island. According to David M. Taub, a research professor who oversaw the introduction of the colony to Morgan Island and later served as the Beaufort mayor, the monkeys were exclusively used for breeding and no unethical or harmful research is or ever was conducted on the island. Since the inception of Monkey Island, various primate research companies have leased the island, and the assurance of low-impact research with a focus on breeding has been consistent, with the colony under the continued protection of the NIAID. Still, allegations of mistreatment have cropped up over the years.

The only way to explore Monkey Island is by boat, and St. Helena Sound offers several guided boat tours to get you as close to the primates as possible. Popular ports are Edisto Beach and the northern side of Lady's Island, with tour prices ranging from around $250 to $650, depending on the duration of your tour, which are usually two to four hours long. Monkey sightings aren't guaranteed, but the breathtaking views of the ACE basin and the knowledgeable guides make for a fun day out on the water. Plus, other wildlife sightings are common on the tours, including herons, eagles, dolphins, and other marine species. 

You can also take to the waters yourself. Eddings Point Boat Landing on St. Helena Island provides easy public access to Morgan Island and is less than five miles away. The best time to see the monkeys is in the early morning, when dozens or even hundreds of monkeys have been spotted in the trees and roaming the beaches. Just remember that interacting with the monkeys in any capacity is prohibited. 

Monkey Island's own Beaufort County is filled with lodging options to suit any traveler. Stay in the iconic waterfront Cuthbert House built in 1790, book a room in the stunning Beaufort Inn (built circa 1897), or rent a cozy seaside cottage for a taste of Lowcountry living. If your Monkey Island tour sets off from Edisto Island, you can also book your accommodations there and enjoy the popular Edisto Beach during your stay. Morgan Island isn't the only monkey island in the United States, or even in the South. Florida has its own version of Monkey Island, a little-known attraction that's basically a mini-Alcatraz for spider monkeys.