Southern Living Article
Folly Beach
Quick note for the reader. Captain Richard has now been featured in Southern Living 3 times. The first two were in the 80’s.
On September 18, 2025, the magazine Southern Living published an article titled “This South Carolina Beach Is One of the Best Places to Spot Dolphins in the Wild” highlighting Folly Beach’s unique ecosystem for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. (Southern Living) Among the local operators mentioned in the story was Flipper Finders, the Folly-based boat-tour company known for dolphin cruises and wildlife tours. Having your business featured in a national lifestyle publication is more than just a nod—it’s a signal that you are playing a meaningful role in place-making, local tourism, and conservation.
Why it matters
When Southern Living spotlights Folly Beach’s waters as “one of the South’s best chances to see wild dolphins up close,” it amplifies what local operators such as Flipper Finders already know: the barrier-island location, the tidal marshes, the sandy estuaries—these aren’t just background scenery, they’re part of what draws wildlife and visitors alike. (Southern Living)
For Flipper Finders, being named in the article raises visibility: readers who trust Southern Living’s travel features may now consider Folly Beach not just for a beach day, but for a wildlife experience. That kind of recognition translates into broader awareness, potentially more bookings, and stronger local positioning as a wildlife-tour operator.
A bit of magazine history
To understand why the mention is meaningful, a little context about Southern Living helps. The magazine was first published in February 1966 by The Progressive Farmer Company in Birmingham, Alabama. (Southern Living) From the beginning its mission was clear: to be the “Magazine of the Modern South,” celebrating Southern food, homes, gardens, travel and culture. (Southern Living)
Over the decades, Southern Living built a reputation for quality — strong photography, evocative storytelling, regional authenticity. It wasn’t just about homes and recipes; it consistently turned the lens on places, traditions, and experiences that define the South. When your business is featured in Southern Living, you are aligning with that legacy of trusted, aspirational Southern lifestyle publishing.
Flipper Finders and the Folly Beach ecosystem
Flipper Finders offers boat tours departing from Folly Beach, exploring creeks, marshes, and open waterways in search of dolphins. (Flipper Finders) The company emphasizes local wildlife, natural beauty, and a respectful approach to nature. When the Southern Living article described Folly Beach’s warm Atlantic currents, shallow marsh channels and variety of habitats as reasons why dolphins gather there year-round, it essentially described the terrain in which Flipper Finders operates. (Southern Living)
In effect, the article doesn’t just commend Folly Beach—it validates the business model of Flipper Finders. These aren’t generic tours; they are part of a nature-tourism niche built on the very features Southern Living identified: tidal creeks, marshes, the rare “strand-feeding” behavior where dolphins beach themselves to catch prey. (Folly Beach Official Site)
What this does for Flipper Finders
Being featured means several practical and strategic benefits:
- Credibility: When a recognized national brand cites your company by name as an example, it builds authority. Customers unfamiliar with Folly Beach may feel more confident booking a tour with you.
- Reach: Southern Living’s audience is broad and includes readers looking for travel and lifestyle experiences in the South. Exposure opens doors to out-of-state or international visitors.
- Brand alignment: Flipper Finders becomes not just a local tour operator, but part of a bigger story of Southern nature tourism, conservation, and authentic experiences.
- Conservation narrative: The article itself highlights wildlife, habitat, and ecological richness. Being associated with that narrative helps Flipper Finders position itself as a respectful, eco-aware company—not just a commercial tour.
- Local pride and differentiation: For Folly Beach and the surrounding Lowcountry, recognition from Southern Living strengthens the region’s brand. Flipper Finders becomes part of the story of Folly Beach being “one of the best places to spot wild dolphins in the South.”
Looking ahead: leveraging the mention
To get the most out of this mention, Flipper Finders can consider:
- Promotional materials: Highlight the Southern Living feature in your marketing—on your website, social media, or email campaigns (“Featured in Southern Living as one of America’s top dolphin-spotting destinations”).
- Storytelling: Create content that references the article’s points—show how your tours navigate the tidal creeks and marshes described, discuss strand feeding, tie your experience into the habitats Southern Living highlighted.
- Partnerships & credentials: Use the feature as a credibility asset when collaborating with lodging partners, tourism boards or travel influencers.
- Conservation and education focus: Since the article emphasizes the natural habitat and behaviors, you can reinforce your tour’s emphasis on respectful wildlife engagement and eco-tourism, aligning with that message.
- Broadened reach: Potentially reach audiences beyond local visitors: out-of-town guests, wildlife enthusiasts, families seeking nature-based experiences. The Southern Living audience may open that door.
Why Southern Living’s history amplifies the value
Because Southern Living has been part of Southern culture since 1966—something of a regional institution—it carries weight. Its editorial stance emphasizes authenticity, regional identity, and trusted lifestyle content. (CommPRO) When a travel-feature name-drops a local business, it’s not just a listing—it’s an endorsement embedded in decades of regional trust. That means for Flipper Finders, the mention isn’t fleeting; it becomes part of their legacy.
Moreover, the magazine’s evolution from print to digital, its continued emphasis on place and experience, and its adherence to strong editorial standards all add to the credibility. Being included means being part of a vetted story, not just a paid advertisement. For a local business competing in the experiential tourism market, that kind of exposure is substantial.
Conclusion
For Flipper Finders, the Southern Living article is more than just a mention—it’s a validation of place, service, and story. It puts the company in a national context, aligns it with a respected brand, and connects it to a broader narrative about wildlife, nature, and Southern travel experiences.
For Folly Beach, it reinforces the message that this small barrier island isn’t just another beach town—it is a destination for nature, wildlife and meaningful experiences. And for visitors—whether local or from afar—it signals that when you board a tour with Flipper Finders, you’re stepping into a place that has earned a feature in a magazine that has defined Southern lifestyle for nearly six decades.
In an age where authenticity and experience matter more than ever, the confluence of Folly Beach’s natural assets, Flipper Finders’ local expertise, and Southern Living’s editorial legacy creates a powerful story—one where the business, the place, and the travel narrative all reinforce one another.
If you’re looking for a tour that offers more than just scenery, but a genuine encounter with nature, history and locale, then boarding a Flipper Finders boat from Folly Beach means you’re entering a story that’s been told by one of the South’s most trusted voices.