Shakelford Banks

Five Wild Horses, Shakelford Banks, NC
Wild Horses Shakelford Banks, NC

Beach at Shakelford Banks, NC
Our beach, Shakelford Banks
Sailboat/
shore bird

In July 2007 we took a boat ride over to Shakelford Banks. We wanted to explore the beachs and see the wild horses. We weren't disappointed in either. Even in July, it wasn't hard to find a stretch of beach all our own.

From the beach we could watch the sailboats out in the water. The sightseeing sailboat was also out.

We had a great time exlporing the beach. We found quite a few shells and took a swim.

We enjoyed watching the little shore bird wading in the water and clean itself up. It managed to find a few things to eat.

And a big flock of pelicans flew over in perfect formation. They were headed for a big lunch meeting somewhere.

Flight of pelicans

Wild Horses

Genetics testing indicates that the Shakelford wild horses descended from a core group of the old type of Spanish horses brought to the new world over 400 years ago. See Shakelford Horses for more information on the history of the horses. The size of the herd is controlled by the National Park Service to ensure that the herd does not exceed the capacity of the small island.

When you visit the horses, you should avoid disturbing them. So if you want photos, a long lens is very useful. Anyone who takes photos of animals soon realizes that you never have a lens that is quite long enough.

One wild horse walking through brush
two wild horses
two wild horses grazing