shackleford banks

hello again! a few weekends ago we went beach camping about an hour up our shore, on an island called shackleford banks. we have been eager to explore this nearby island because on it live feral horses, descendents of 16th century spanish mustangs. they survived a shipwreck over 400 years ago that was voyaging from hispaniola (located between cuba and puerto rico) to the outer banks of north carolina. they still survive as one of the last isolated groups of wild horses in the united states, and we got to see them!

here are a few snippets of our beach camping adventure:


captain shirley on the port side of the ferry that we took to reach the island


ferry landing!


conchs galore! there most definitely is a plethora of these beauties on the island, making for superb shelling!


wondering from where this sign washed up...obviously a result of some hurricane that swept through! some smart aleck stood the sign up. the island is completely primitive; no vehicles are allowed.


oooh, do we spy ancient ship wreckage?!?


we humped (in military jargon) a good 45 minutes along the beach before we found a nice sequestered spot to pitch our tent.


the perfect campsite.


what a view!


stunning sunset on the beach


mike's attempts to ignite a fire with scant driftwood paid off!


family photo shoot, take 6


crabs! during one point at night mike walked down to the ocean and when he peered down at the beach on the way back he was startled to discover crabs at his feet! apparently they are nocturnal little critters! hah, but they looked just as startled as he was!


yes, this is indeed a shark. we finally got to document one!


behold, the wild banker horses! we saw these guys all over the place. they fed on grass just feet away from our campsite, and on the way back we came across a larger herd.


staredown


magnificent broncos paired with a wondrous backdrop