Explore Masonboro Island Coastal Reserve
For many generations, Masonboro Island has been an undeveloped natural area that has served as a recreational retreat for those who live or regularly visit the Wilmington area. This eight-mile long barrier island, with its sandy beach along the Atlantic Ocean side and expansive marsh system bordering the Intracoastal Waterway, is an attraction for boating, surfing, nature watching, sunbathing, camping, and fishing.
Masonboro Island is part of the NC Estuarine Research Reserve, and encompasses approximately 5,046 acres, most of which (about 4300 acres) is comprised of the extensive tidal salt marshes and mud flats in Myrtle Grove and Masonboro Sounds on the waterway side of the island. About 620 acres are oceanfront beach, dunes, upland shrub thickets, patches of maritime forest, and dredge material islands. The Federal Government lists loggerhead sea turtles, green sea turtles, and sea beach amaranth as endangered species. They all utilize this island to sustain life, and the surrounding waters are rich in nutrients and act as a nursery to sustain other important species such as spot, mullet, flounder, pompano, bluefish, menhaden, and mackerel.
We will spend a day discovering this valuable ecological resource where our educators have surfed and explored for years. You will gain an appreciation for this barrier island by learning what activities are allowable and how to minimize your impacts. Once on the island, we are free to explore from the oyster beds and marshes on the backside through the dunes to the shallow sandbars on the ocean side. Seashells are abundant, and we have all the room we want to play on the beach and in the ocean. We will pull seine nets and dig in the mud to discover exactly what species of vertebrates and invertebrates inhabit this area. It’s also a great place to talk about point source and non-point source pollution, unintentional littering, problems that our oceans are facing and solutions for keeping it all alive. Probably the best strategy to adopt when visiting any island such as this is to enjoy your visit without leaving reminders of your trip behind and clean up anything else you find. Sea Turtle Camp’s motto is: "The only thing we leave behind is our footprints."
Sea Turtle Camp’s parent company’s founder, Rick Civelli has been a member of the Society for Masonboro Island for the last 10 years, and sits on its Board of Directors. Over the years the Society has acquired over 95 percent of the island and protected it from development for the enjoyment of future generations.
Support Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation
Please help us continue to protect and conserve the remaining species of Sea Turtles. Through education and public awareness we can ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the natural wonder of these magnificent marine species.
Please consider giving a membership to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital Foundation for birthdays and other special occasions.
Thank you for your interest and support.
