I was in a brief vacation with my family at Emerald Isle recently and decided to head up the island…read moreto take a sunset ferry trip over to Shackelford Banks. We boarded the "Shackelford Lady" piloted by Captain Jose'. The trip was basically 30 minutes out, an hour on the island, and then a "30" minute trip back. The island is simply beautiful all on its own, but Captain Jose' made it extra special. He was in constant contact with other boat captains relaying the location of dolphins and anything that would make the trip special. On the way back as the sun was setting, he would turn the boat so that everyone could take pictures. It was truly an amazing experience.

Beach for shelling or relaxing, or to check out the 130 wild horses that roam the island. Take a…read moreferry from Beaufort or be lucky enough to have your own boat. Depending on the company the final ferry should go from 8am and depart at around 5pm (every hour) but that's plenty of time to explore the island. A ride there and back will cost roughly $17 per adult. A warning, it gets extremely hot in July and August. There are no facilities on the island, so a ride back to the mainland is at the minimum 10 minutes or more. Do not overexert yourself in the heat, bring PLENTY OF FLUIDS especially if you are going to explore around looking at the horse in 90 degree weather and be on the island for hours. Bring food, bananas, Gatorade, water. The north side of the island will have calm water and tons of boats parked with people sunbathing. The south (ocean) side of the island will be almost empty and with shells everywhere. You can definitely cut through the island hiking through existing trails and dunes but make sure you are physically able to do so. Reminder there are no facilities or emergency services on the island, it's completely uninhabited so if you need any help whatsoever you are out of luck. BE SMART. If you really want to find shells I recommend going to the far northwest point of the island and walking around. That tip is a perfect combination of waves, shells, and beach area. Just make sure you watch about for the tide later in the day so your stuff doesn't get washed away.

We came here to check out the sunset. Close to our Airbnb. Plenty of parking and wooded trails…read more Nice frisbee golf area. We walked the wheelchair accessible wooden walkway that went to the dock. Clean restrooms by the trail entrance.

Hidden gem! Kind of small, trails aren't marked, but the sound views are lovely. It has disc golf…read moreas well as nature trails.

From the website: "Leisure waterfront park with benches (6),…read moreconcert stage, covered bench swings (2), covered picnic tables (2), parking, piers (8th & 9th Street), and restrooms." I stopped here before heading to work on a nice Spring day. Well maintained, pleasant place to relax for a few moments. Nice monument titled "The Carolina Sounder" and a sundial are two artistic features of the park. I found it to be a nice relaxing place with a lovely view.

A beautiful waterfront area on the sound side of Morehead City. A large grassy area with a few…read morebenches, tables, and a small concert stage area. Definitely walkable to a few waterfront restaurants to grab a bite to eat or bring to the park area for a meal with a view!

Fun for all! This is 100% geared towards kids, but Captain Spike definitely throws in some adult…read morehumor too. The trip is perfect amount of time for the kids to not get bored. Mrs Fettuccini was great and remembered every kids name. The treasure was icing on the cake - my kids loved it. Absolutely a must do when in the area.

This tour was amazing. Took the evening Ghost Float tour. It was fun exciting ghostly and had…read moregreat story's the staff was great. Definitely worth the visit.

If you are a beginner hiker or just looking for an nice walk, here is an excellent start. We walked…read morearound for a good hour and saw some beautiful views.

I wouldn't call this a pond. It is an extensive body of water. It is a good sized lake. Some…read morewaterlillies have entered it. Otherwise it is a very beautiful example of the round or oval lakes that occurred in the area and throughout the southeast in the old days. Many of them were drained leaving this lake to be important as a source of knowledge of interest. The forest surrounding the Patsy Pond Nature Trail is a joy and a wonder to behold. A section of it, however, has been seized upon by a small hunting group and each year or two they burn it out to remove the unique flora and understory plants. They do that, they claim, to open the land to deer hunting because deer, they say, like the open areas. Because the area is also part of a managed forest (where loblolly pines are encouraged to grow and planted in long rows, this idea about deer and hunting doesn't make much traction. Shooting at animals while standing (more often sitting) on a trail drinking beer is not my idea of hunting. One year I was in the area and the North Carolina Department of the Environment had a 'controlled' burn. It torched a wide area. Upon reporting the flames, which reached more than 120 feet in the air at times and emitted acrid smoke, no authorities took notice and did not question what was happening. Disappointing to say the least - however this area butts up on the Croatan National Forest and this trail skirts at its deepest point. That area is wild and has been for a long time. I recommend the Patsy Pond Nature Trail as one of the entry points to that wilderness. Bring all protective clothing with you.

It was very easy to coordinate with Marc on setting up jet skiing for my husband's birthday gift…read more We had a fabulous time on the jet skis with Cole as our guide, he was great about communicating all that we needed to watch for on this busy 4th of July. The variety of terrain was amazing as we went fast through the salt water flats and slowly maneuvered through tight turns in back water channels near Swansboro. I grew up coming here every Fourth of July and I never saw all the sights we saw today - wonderful way to spend the 4th and a fantastic birthday activity!

Outstanding boat tour. Mark was a great captain, fishing, swimming, found dolphins, and shared…read moreinteresting insights about the area. a great birthday present for our grandson.

Listen to me. I've gone deep sea fishing three times now and I've learned a thing or two. Number…read moreone: do not ever go during the hottest day of the week. While the boat was halfway full with fishers, half of them were puking their guts out by the time we arrived to our fishing destinations. And, some of them were seasoned fishers. Go in the fall. Princess Carolina was definitely a huge improvement compared to the other deep sea fishing companies I've been to. However, I have to knock off a star for the lack of air-conditioning inside the boat. There were bothersome flies everywhere doing their witchcraft in this hot-blowdryer-in-your-face heat. For the money we're paying for a trip, a/c should have been included. Other than that, it was a good trip. It was awesome watching the mobs of jellyfish in the ocean. The staff were friendly and helpful with releasing our fish from our rods. I caught a lot of fish on this trip but none of them met the legal minimum size to keep. However, my party had fun before some of them got sick. Fish will be filleted for you for fifty cents per pound.

The captain and mates were very friendly, attentive and professional. Folks caught all types of…read morefish, Black Sea Bass, amberjack, snapper, grunts, you name it.. When fishing got slow in one location the captain wouldn't hesitate to pull anchor and move to another spot. We caught our limit of tasty Vermillion Snapper. We were lucky enough to see a very large bull shark cruise past us. The boat was roomy and the ride was good. Fishing was so good we only used the cool and spacious cabin on the way out and back to port. Great value and a must trip with visiting family members. We are already looking forward to our next trip out.

Had a fantastic experience with Olympus! We had three straight days of diving with them and have no…read morecomplaints! Our entire crew on the Midnight Express (Captain Jerry, Dylan, & Zach) provided extensive briefing and clearly took safety and customer experience seriously, while still keeping things lighthearted and fun. They were accommodating, helpful, and made the entire time feel easy and stress-free. While we had our own gear many divers rented and the rental gear was in great condition with everything being very well organized. The boat was also excellent--clean, comfortable, and, best of all, had plenty of room to set up your gear without feeling like you were falling all over each. They had plenty of drinking water on board and water for cleaning your mask. The best touch was the freeze pops that they handed out at the conclusion of your dive day! The dives we did were great! Fun exploring the wrecks and lots of aquatic life to enjoy! Overall, a very well-run operation with a great crew, quality equipment, and a comfortable boat. I'd absolutely dive with them again and would recommend them to anyone looking for a professional, accommodating, and enjoyable dive experience. We will be back soon!

This absolutely the best dive center in Eastern North Carolina! The staff are so professional,…read moreknowledgeable and courteous. I began diving with them in May 2025 and each and every visit to the pro shop is awesome. There is no better captain, boat or crew around. Every dive is an amazing adventure and makes you yearn for the next dive! Enthusiastically recommended for anyone wanting to dive regardless of experience!