Cape
Lookout Discovery
The Cape Lookout Discovery cruise begins
from our dock in downtown Beaufort, North Carolina. As we head
out of Taylor's Creek the historic white clapboard homes of Beaufort
are to our north, Carrot Island is to our south, and Duke Marine
Lab is to our west. Fishing boats and interesting sail craft,
both modern and historic, are usually found in Taylor's Creek. Beaufort
is one of the most colorful and lovely ports on the East coast.
Discussion for the start of the trip focuses on the general ecology
of the area, along with consideration of human impacts to the
environment that can be observed.
From Taylor's Creek we head past Fort Macon,
the NC State Port, and the US Coast Guard Station before entering
the Atlantic Ocean. Discussion will focus on the interactions
between the estuary and ocean environments. Traveling close to
the remote shores of Shackleford Banks , we
usually observe the Banks' ponies, tall dunes, and large maritime
forest of this 9 mile long island. During the 16 mile trip to
the Lighthouse, everybody will help us in searching the horizon
for fins breaking the surface showing us the location of bottlenose
dolphin! We usually encounter dolphin during this trip, often
discovering pods of over a dozen individuals. Other likely observations
include 300 pound sea turtles, huge schools of "bait" fish,
jellyfish and other fascinating marine life.
As we head east the striking figure of Cape
Lookout Lighthouse draws closer and closer until we reach the
remarkable area known as "Lookout Bight", the huge
inland bay which lies next to the lighthouse. We will dock right
next to the 159' lighthouse, which has stood as a sentinel on
Core Banks for over 140 years. Students will learn about the
rich maritime history of the area, including stories of shipwrecks
and daring rescues. We will walk right up to the lighthouse before
dividing up into 2 groups for the next activities.
During our beach explorations, students will
go on a scavenger hunt on some of the most secluded beaches in
the state. We will collect shells and discover what they tell
us about the beaches (most shells are thousands of years old!).
Students will also discover the special adaptations of the animals
and plants that live in the desert-like environment of the beach
front. Back on the sound, the students visit a tidal flat that
is rich with marine life. Using nets, the students collect a
broad array of specimens, often including scallops, sea squirts,
sea stars, juvenile fish, hermit crabs, and other amazing marine
life. Depending on the grade level, discussion focuses on food
webs, energy flow, predator / prey relationships, and human impacts
on these areas.
About Cape Lookout: The
Cape Lookout "Bight" is one of the most interesting
and scenic natural areas on the East Coast. The Bight forms a
giant bay which is connected to the ocean, yet protected from
its force by the hooking shape of the Cape Lookout shore. The
Bight is known for its abundance of marine life and as a superb
anchorage for ocean-going sail boats en route to Bermuda and
the Caribbean. Located on Core Banks, these beaches are part
of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
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photo by Keith Rittmaster
Photo courtesy of NC Travel and Tourism
Photo courtesy of NC Travel and Tourism
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