Photo Gallery: Island Paradise

By Amber Keister
Photography By Jonathan Fredin Mar 6, 2017

As soon as you step off the ferry onto Bald Head Island, it’s clear this is a place like no other. Take a deep breath, smell the salty air, feel the ocean breezes on your face, and listen to the sounds of water and wildlife.

Although not strictly an island since Hurricane Bonnie in 1998, the area retains its remote and picturesque nature. Only service vehicles are allowed, so bicycles and electric golf carts rule the roads.

In addition to its renown as a vacation getaway, this southernmost settlement in North Carolina is nationally recognized as a sea turtle nesting spot and a prime place for birdwatching. The Bald Head Island Conservancy is dedicated to preserving the barrier island’s habitat. The group also leads birdwatching tours and turtle-themed programs throughout the year.

Outdoor activities like kayaking, kiteboarding and surfing are typical pastimes, but you can also exercise your brain with a visit to the historic Old Baldy lighthouse — and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the scenery.

In the following photos, photographer Jonathan Fredin gives you a peek at what he calls “a magical place.”

When you go

The Bald Head Island passenger ferry in Southport, N.C., makes 20-minute trips to and from the island daily. Rates are $22 per adult and $11 per child (ages 3-12). Children 2 and under are free. For ferry schedules, maps and more go to baldheadisland.com or call (910) 457-5003.
The Marsh Harbor Inn is located on the Bald Head Island marina within walking distance to restaurants, shops and the Maritime Market. For more information, call (910) 454-0451 or visit marshharbourinn.com.
The Bald Head Island Conservancy is a nonprofit organization whose mission is barrier island conservation, preservation and education. It includes Bald Head, Middle and Bluff Islands, all of which are bounded by the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. To learn more about the conservancy, visit bhic.org
The Old Baldy Foundation gives a glimpse into the history of Bald Head Island from its first appearance on maps in the 1500s to the development of the island in the 1980s. Tours begin on the island at the ferry terminal in the harbor (for on-island guests) and from Deep Point Marina (for day visitors). Stops on the tour include the Old Boathouse located on Bald Head Creek, the foundation of the Cape Fear Light, and Captain Charlie’s Station, three lighthouse keepers’ cottages dating to 1903. Call (910) 457-5003 for details.
The Sail Shop provides guided kayak tours, as well as surfing and sailing lessons, and equipment rental. For reservations and inquiries, call (910) 457-6844 or visit thesailshop.com.

: Rolf Blizzard, VP and COO Turnpike Properties, LLC

: The conservancy also offers a variety of nature-themed programs, including touch tank classes, sea turtle protection programs and wildlife viewing expeditions.

: Cary residents Liz Dion and Joan Baumer lead their own expedition to catch crabs at the creek for dinner.

: Sunset is social hour for many residents at Marsh Harbor Inn, including fractional owners Tony and Juliette Williams of Tampa, Fla., left, and Joan Baumer of Cary, who share a porch overlooking the marina and ocean.

: The Marsh Harbor Inn, the island’s only bed and breakfast, offers five rooms and seven suites for rental on a daily or weekly basis. Continental breakfasts are included, as is access to a fully-equipped kitchen, where even low-country boils happen. Each suite also includes a golf cart.

: Bald Head Island Conservancy coastal educator Amy Eldredge, right, tells visitors about the nonprofit’s island conservation, including monitoring water quality, dunes, salt marshes and the maritime forest.

: A dog leads its owner around the dog-friendly island. And yes, there’s a dog park.

: Don and Linda Albert of Lochmere in Cary

: The Bald Head Creek Boathouse, left, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

: Ferry passengers take in the sights of the Bald Head Island marina while departing for the mainland.

: Megan Stephenson, left, an environmental scientist and kayak guide, leads a morning tour exploring wildlife on the island’s tidal creeks. “The kayak tours are a slow, quiet escape that keep you in touch with nature and let you get a different view of the island,” she says.

: The island is an excellent habitat for frequently seen wildlife, like the white ibis, one of 260 species of birds documented on the island.

: Another view of paradise is found along the island’s 14 miles of beaches, below, where sandals are ditched and sand dollars are discovered. With easy access to east, west and south beaches, islanders are able to watch the sun rise and set over the Atlantic each day.

: Bicyclists touring the island ride through the canopy of the maritime forest, where live oak, cabbage palmetto and long leaf pine shade the roadway.

: The Bald Head Island passenger ferry departs the island at sunset for Southport, N.C. The ferry departs the island every hour.

: The variety of natural habitats — including a 10,000-acre marshland, ancient maritime forest, freshwater lagoons and beaches — offer plenty to see and experience.