A wild & windy paddle at Pine Island
Exploring the water trails on the Outer Banks
A hidden gem: the Audubon Pine Island Sanctuary
Inside the Outer Banks of North Carolina sits 2,600 acres of protected marshes, water trails and maritime forests devoted to providing a home to birds, wildlife and fish habitat. Over 170 bird species, 7 amphibian species, 17 reptile species, 19 mammal species and more than 350 species of plants have been recorded. Some of my favorites include migrant songbirds, wading birds and waterfowl.
The Audubon Sanctuary at Pine Island is one of the last remnants of the original Outer Banks - and is officially named for Donal C. O’Brien - the late Audubon board chair and a leading conservationist.
A windy paddle into the marshes
Coastal Kayak Touring Company in nearby Corolla is the exclusive kayak tour operator for the Pine Island Sanctuary. They provided all the equipment (kayaks, paddles, floatation devices) and a guide to lead us on our adventure through the Sanctuary.
Part of the land donated to Audubon includes a historic hunting club where members met to hunt waterfowl in the early 1900’s. Our guide, Gabby and her guide-in-training gave us a short tour of the club building before we hiked to the boat barn.
On to the boat barn to launch!
Just hiking to the boat barn was spectacular - the old dirt road was framed by the marshes and the morning sky. The boat barn had recently been painted by volunteers with murals depicting waterscapes.
A vigorous start: paddling hard across the Currituck Sound
After a short paddling lesson, we launched onto the Currituck Sound. Gabby recommended that we paddle hard against the waves and head to other side of the sound - to huddle near the marshes and escape most of the wind.
To be honest, I prefer to paddle on quiet water. My last “hard” paddle was on Skaneateles Lake, in New York about three years ago.
Today, the wind was gusting up to 10 to 15 miles per hour. Gabby said she would take us to the calmer marshy areas but we would need to cross some open water to get there. Easier said than done. I dug my paddle in deeper with each stroke and tried to maintain a steady pace. With each stroke, my arms woke up and I seemed to be moving forward.
My mantra: paddle hard to get to calmer waters
Finally, I made it! What a way to start a morning paddle. After we re-grouped by the marshes, Gabby provided an overview of the history of the preserve, the habitat, the prevalent birding activity and what fish we may see. We started paddling again and headed into the inner marshes - where the water is usually calmer and more friendly to wildlife viewing.
Time to head back to the boat barn
Gabby promised us that our return would not be as windy but we would still need to cross some open waters. My arms were already tired from the paddling thus far. As I made my last turn out of the marshes and into the open water, I looked ahead and saw the boat barn in the distance. Seemed so far away. The water was still quite choppy. My 12 foot Perception kayak seemed heavier. After what seemed like an eternity, we made it back safely to the launch.
Ready for your adventure?
Visit the Audubon Pine Island Sanctuary website for more information.
Book your tour directly with the Coastal Kayak Touring Company, the exclusive operator of kayak tours in Pine Island.
You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your element in each moment. - Henry David Thoreau
What a great place and mode of travel to explore! I've never visited the Outer Banks, but it looks very interesting. I have the cheapest little sit on top kayak you can get, but maybe I'll pull it out to explore some smaller local lakes soon.
Looks like a nice paddle!