An Educational Vacation On Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Fort Fisher

Collectively referred to as "Pleasure Island" by the locals, the towns of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Fort Fisher combine to offer vacationers outstanding "up close and personal" insights into the natural habitat of our abundantly varied coastal marine and wildlife. There is so much more to the Carolina coast than sun and waves, although sunshine and warm water seem to be a more than adequate temptation for most of us (including me) to pack the sunscreen and head for the beach! And we have the vacation rental as the home base for you and your family's active getaway.

But for those wanting a bit more, especially those who hope to sneak in a little painless education for themselves or their accompanying children, local organizations and merchants in the Pleasure Island area offer an excellent variety of tours, historic sites and fun destinations to please even the most finicky learner. I know from personal experience that anything appearing remotely educational on vacations has to be cleverly camouflaged as "fun" for a lot of children - and some adults - or there's bound to be trouble. If I had known about Kure Beach, or Fort Fisher or Carolina Beach when my daughters were small, I believe vacation time would have been a lot more enjoyable!

Starting at Fort Fisher, kids from three to eighty-three will enjoy the North Carolina Aquarium. The largest in the state, this aquarium offers an incredible "touch" pool for some unbelievable interaction with a variety of water creatures. Everybody loves this feature. There are also displays with sharks and turtles and gallons of water with every variety of marine life available and the informative video tour is short enough to hold the children's attention.

Carolina Beach State Park is another "must" destination for adults as well as little ones. With over six miles of hiking trails through several distinct habitats (including coastal fringe evergreen forests and pocosin swamps) you will pass through tidal marshes, lime-sink ponds and dunes. These areas are home to the usual assortment of snakes, raccoons, lizards and opossums. You might occasionally see an alligator or fox, and even run across a carnivorous plant or two.

One of the best tours available in the area is with Kayak Carolina in Carolina Beach. With guides who are experienced interpretive naturalists, you can explore part of the 8,000 acre salt marsh that's part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve. A touring kayak is a very stable, roomy craft that's easy to paddle and families find it quite safe to take their children along. Gliding quietly through the marsh areas you will be part of nature as you watch terns, plovers, skimmers and even snowy egrets go by. You can watch the antics of fiddler crabs and watch for sea turtles.

For a blue water nature trip, Hot Ticket Fishing Charters offers not only fishing charters with all tackle supplied - they will also take you on a dolphin watching cruise. Everyone, young and old alike, love to watch these delightful creatures sliding through the waves. This charter company is located at the municipal dock in Carolina Beach.

And, if you're very lucky, the most rewarding moment of your "educational" vacation might be in getting to watch as a nest of baby sea turtles dig their way up through the sand before scampering comically to the water. Please be very mindful of those areas staked out on the beaches and marked as nesting sites. Many sea turtles are endangered and risk becoming more so as we continue to build on our dwindling wild beaches. The Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project located on Carolina Beach welcomes volunteers and donations to their cause. As they state on their official website, "The Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project is dedicated to the protection of all endangered sea turtle species." Volunteers patrol the beaches to stake nesting sites so we don't blunder over them. They also help dig trenches in the sand so the nestlings have an easier time getting to the water since the many lights of our now populated beaches confuse the little guys.
And finally, they ask that if you see "turtle tracks" in the sand, to call police immediately so the nest can be found and protected. What a wonderful and touching way to end a vacation!