Part of the largest stretch of intact marshlands in the South Atlantic Bight, the rivers bordering Bluffton are salty and tidally connected. They average a 9.5-foot change between high and low tides twice a day. The county’s more than 200,000 acres of marsh are the ocean’s nursery— "a big soup," says lifelong Bluffton resident and former kayak guide, Ben Turner—where crab, shrimp, oysters and other marine life get their start.

Throughout the marshlands that give the Lowcountry its singular identity, spartina—or cord grass—turns bright green in spring and golden in fall. It hosts a wealth of wildlife, such as alligators, raccoons and otters, which feast on the world’s freshest raw bar. Deer, which are vegetarian, can be seen licking the tall, slender blades for the salt. Without rocky outcroppings available in other parts of the country, the deer rely on spartina, which excretes the salt it draws from the water, for this vital dietary supplement.

Beaufort County’s oyster is the same species found in Chesapeake Bay and Apalachicola, the Crassostrea Virginica, or eastern oyster. Unlike those large, single-eared forms, however, Bluffton oysters are small, narrow and grow in clusters because the marsh has a soft, muddy bottom. The oyster larvae—or spat—floats around on the tide, seeking a hard surface to plant and grow. Other oysters provide that ready surface, which is why the oyster industry works with the state’s Department of Natural Resources to replenish shells along oyster banks.

Oystermen still take their bateau boats out for the back-breaking work of gathering oysters. The industry was nearly decimated by overharvesting in the 1950s. But, the inimitable terroir—the microclimate of salinity, nutrients and water temperatures that give the oysters their sweet taste and silky texture—have increased demand for this delicacy. Bluffton residents have pride of place, swearing their oysters are the best-tasting in the world, and that they are at their peak when the waters grow cold in December.