Post #24: Wildlife on the ICW

Monday, October 26, 2020

Last night I read ahead a bit in the Waterway Guide for the Atlantic ICW because I knew we would be passing Camp Lejeune shortly after leaving Swansboro. Here’s the scoop:

“The ICW through Camp LeJeune is occasionally closed for artillery, small-weapons firing and beach-landing exercises...Prominent lighted signs stand at both ends of the range area. During firing exercises, these signs display flashing lights and red flags.  The signs direct boaters to tune to AM Radio 530 (gulp— do we even have an AM radio??) when flashing and indicate a ban on passing.   Manned stake-boats stand watch at each end to prevent ICW traffic from running into danger.”

Okay.  I knew there would be warships in Norfolk.  I was surprised by the fighter jets on the Alligator River. But I really am not looking forward to witnessing bombing practice. 

Fortunately, there were no flashing lights and red flags—just us, the fog, and the dive-bombing pelicans.  Oh, yeah, and warnings of unexploded ordnance on the islands and marshes either side of us.  We did see a couple abandoned water landing vehicles.  

As we continued along the channel, protected from the Atlantic only by thin barrier islands, we crossed a number of inlets where rivers flow right into the ocean and the salt water, in turn, flows back into the rivers. This movement of water produces shoaling sands and squirrelly currents and eddies, especially in strong winds and tides.  Knowlegeable locals enjoy shallow entrance to the ocean for fishing, spectacular vistas and secluded dunes.

The inlets also attract an abundance of bird life—great blue herons, great white herons, egrets, pelicans, cormorants and hundreds of gulls and terns. Dolphin also seem to frolic about near inlets although it’s difficult to catch them in a photo.  Of course the birds are there for the fish so there’s lots going on under the surface, too. It would be awesome to see what’s going on below us!

We even spied a life-sized giraffe!

The houses became larger and larger as we approached Wrightsville Beach, reminding me a bit of Long Island’s Manhasset back in September. 

As we got closer to Carolina Beach, I noticed this Aid to Navigation.  I couldn’t find it on any of our charts, though.  Hmmmmm....

We spent a quiet night right behind Carolina Beach.  It seemed that every square inch of land had a house on it. We look forward to a longer visit in the spring.  The white sandy beach is just on the other side of these houses.