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block-island

Block Island Spring Paddle

Videography by Kevin Erdvig

If you want to experience Block Island in a different light, plan a visit during the spring “shoulder season,” before all the tourists arrive. In May and June, the island is less crowded, but plenty of restaurants and inns are open for business, and it’s a lot easier to get around.

And if you want to see the marine world coming to life after its winter hibernation, paddle a kayak through the Great Salt Pond and smaller connecting ponds (Tims and Mill). The protected ponds are ideal for exploring by paddlecraft, which you can rent at Pond & Beyond Kayak Tours and Rentals in New Harbor.

Owner-operator Corrie Heinz will set you up with everything you’ll need for a safe and enjoyable trip. A native Block Islander, she’s also a font of local knowledge about the local ecosystem and bird life in and around the ponds. Paddlers can expect to see a variety of shorebirds, many recently arrived from southern wintering grounds. Egrets, heron, oystercatchers, whimbrel, willet, plover, and sandpipers can be seen stalking and skittering along the water’s edge. Below the surface, crabs, eels, stripers, oysters and a variety of baitfish are less visible, but no less busy.

Aside from the wildlife, you’ll get to see the Great Salt Pond before it bustles with summer boat traffic and people. It’s a peaceful, scenic time of year, but then again, there’s really no bad time to visit Block Island!