Wrightsville Beach: Island Hopper Cruise with Masonboro Stop

4.93

(138 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

"You ever tried sliding down a dune?" That’s how our guide, Mark, started things as we loaded up on the Carolina Runner at Wrightsville Beach. It was humid, that sticky North Carolina kind of warm, but the breeze off the water felt good. I didn’t expect the boat to have party lights (they were off at noon, thankfully) or such an easy ramp—no awkward climbing in front of strangers. There were maybe twenty of us, mostly families and a couple who brought their dog in a stroller. Mark passed around bottled water and pointed out pelicans gliding low over the marshes as we motored toward Money Island.

I’d heard stories about Captain Kidd hiding treasure here—Mark told them with just enough drama that you could almost believe it. The sand dune really is massive; some kids immediately started racing up and sliding down on their backsides, shoes flying everywhere. I just sat for a minute, digging my toes into the warm sand and listening to gulls argue overhead. You could smell salt and something faintly grassy from the marsh. I tried to say “Masonboro” like Mark did (May-zun-burr-uh?), but he laughed—guess my accent’s hopeless.

After that we cruised over to Masonboro Island. The place is wild—no buildings, just this long stretch where marsh gives way to ocean waves. We had maybe half an hour to wander; I found two giant shells I still regret not keeping. Some folks waded out knee-deep while others just watched tiny crabs scuttle around their feet. On the ride back, everyone got quiet for a bit when dolphins showed up alongside us—nobody reached for their phones right away, which says something these days. The sun was starting to dip behind the docks when we pulled in. I keep thinking about that silence with the dolphins, honestly.