Pockoy Island's New Inlet From Townsend's Creek 12 X 16"

Pockoy Island sits just seaward of Botany Bay Preserve and, along with Hammock Island, is actually part of the preserve. One must find Botany Bay Road off of Hwy 174 on Edisto Island and travel to its end; then veer left into the preserve. There is a parking area for tourists. Frequently, turkey and deer are seen in the fields here. Tour the grounds and then head out the path towards the ocean. First, you will cross over a small bridge that spans a tributary of Townsend"s Creek. Next, the path cuts through Hammock Island and finally the path will end on Pockoy and the ocean. 

Should one find a map of Edisto Island ~ 100 or more years old, one will see how much the ocean has advanced on the mainland. Pockoy used to be back in the marsh, well away from the ocean.  Now, the Island is disappearing into the Atlantic with Palmettos and Oaks lying on their sides in the sand. 

Tourists love this area and can be seen from the ocean walking amongst the dead trees in the sand. They love to adorn the dead trees and their branches with shells found on the beach.

 The Townsend family owned Botany Bay Preserve for most of the 18th and 19th centuries and grew long staple sea island cotton here. Many in the textile business around the world felt that this cotton was the finest anywhere on the globe.

Above Pockoy, Townsend"s River begins as a branch off of Ocella Creek behind Botany Island, and meanders into the marshes behind the beach. Below (south) of Pockoy, Townsend"s creek begins in the marshes in front of the preserve and winds through the marsh only to run just behind the each southward, emptying into the ocean at Townsend's Inlet, just above Frampton's Inlet.

Hurricane Matthew broke through the dune complex just south of Pockoy, allowing the creek new access out and a new small inlet was created. This new inlet is shown to the left in this scene.

This 12 X 16" oil painting is taken from the water in front of Botany Bay Preserve after Hurricane Matthew cut a new inlet right next to the island from Townsend's Creek. It weighs only 10 oz.