MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The 116 wild Shackleford horses, 400-year residents of North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks, weathered another storm. Immediately following Hurricane Irene, a new foal was born only hours after 90+ mile per hour winds struck Shackleford Banks, the horses’ permanent home. Appropriately named “Aftermath,” the newborn foal is perfectly healthy, serving as a testament of the fortitude of the wild Spanish Mustangs.
At the southern end of Core Sound, a valuable part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, lies a gem of an island known as Shackleford Banks. The only permanent residents on this nine-mile long island are Spanish Mustangs, locally known as "Banker ponies." The majestic horses, survivors of Spanish galleon shipwrecks, have roamed freely across the miles of pristine beaches for more than 400 years. Visitors make their way to the island by private boat or on one of the ferries running from Harkers Island, Beaufort and Morehead City.
Dangling like a delicate strand of pearls off the coast of North Carolina, the favored Atlantic beach destination of generations captivates discerning palates with the "Crystal Coast is Cookin’" promotion encompassing food festivals, restaurant offers and epicurean excursions. With 85 miles of silken coastline along the southern Outer Banks, 56 miles of which are in the protected Cape Lookout National Seashore, the Crystal Coast includes the seaside towns of Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Emerald Isle, and Morehead City. The Crystal Coast is also home to one of the oldest cemeteries in the state, Fort Macon State Park, Blackbeard’s legendary ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge and is the setting for several of Nicholas Sparks’ best selling novels.
To experience NORTH CAROLINA’S CRYSTAL COAST, call (800) 786-6962 or visit www.crystalcoastnc.org.
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CONTACT:
Katelyn Oropeza
850-668-2222
koropeza@zimmerman.com
