Desert Island

On a cloudy day last week, my friend Erin (visiting from New York) and I set out to sea. After a brief, albeit rough, journey, we arrived at an island at high tide and waded to shore.
 

For the next few hours, it was just the two of us and the wild denizens of this undeveloped island.

Descendents of horses that came ashore from shipwrecks and lingered on after whaling communities disappeared, these wild horses live without human interference. No vaccinations, no manufactured food, just grass, sunshine and fresh water dug up with their own hooves, living as they have for generations. 

horseshoe crabs of various sizes and states were plentiful on and near the island's sandy shore

We found the sandpipers to be quite friendly here, not skittering off (as those accustomed to people do) when we approached.

A mermaid's purse- an egg pouch likely belonging to a skate or certain types of sharks

Erin collecting shells.
This was some of the best shelling I've done north of Florida. The Cape Lookout light, across the inlet, is the major draw for people visiting these islands. Lucky for us, no one else was interested in visiting an "empty" island.

For Erin, equestrian enthusiast that she is, seeing horses like this was a dream come true. 

For me, being the only two humans on this untouched barrier island was like something out of a dream.
It does my heart good to know that a place like this exists. I hope to return soon, stay longer, and leave nothing behind but footprints in the sand.