Masonboro Island is a
barrier island in
New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The island, which is undeveloped and accessible only by boat, is a component of the
North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve and a
North Carolina State Natural Area.
It lies south of
Wrightsville Beach
Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town co ...
, separated by
Masonboro Inlet, and north of
Carolina Beach
Carolina Beach is a beach town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States, situated about south of Wilmington International Airport in southeastern coastal North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,564. It is pa ...
, separated by
Carolina Beach Inlet. The island is a destination for
boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...
,
surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
, and
camping.
Masonboro Island is a mix of
marshes,
dunes and
tidal flats, with
beaches along its
Atlantic coastline and a chain of small
hills and
wetland islands along Masonboro Sound, which is part of the
Intracoastal Waterway. The beaches are a nesting ground for
loggerheads and
green sea turtles, and the waters on the sound side of the island are a nursery for
spot,
mullet,
flounder
Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuaries.
Taxonomy
The name "flounder" is used for several only distantly related species, thou ...
and
pompano.
NC Coastal Reserve
References
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Barrier islands of North Carolina
Protected areas of New Hanover County, North Carolina
Masonboro Island State Natural Area
Landforms of New Hanover County, North Carolina
Wetlands of North Carolina