Hampton Inn to be Built in Carolina Beach by Summer 2013

By Summer 2013, developers from Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial hope to build a Hampton Inn on the property that was to house a Hilton Garden Inn.

The Atlanta based development company purchased the property in a foreclosure sale and are now moving forward with their plans to construct the hotel.

They plan on breaking ground in May 2012 and the Hampton Inn will have a smaller footprint then the previously planned HGI. Current plans are for a 10 story hotel with 106 rooms. The hotel will have an ocean view tiki bar, a two level oceanfront restaurant and a ocean front infinity swimming pool.

Below is the ocean view rendering, the overall site plan and the third floor plan. Click any image for full size.

Sunsetnc.com: A Seal At The Beach!

This past weekend we had a very unique visitor to the area… a seal! As you can imagine we get all kinds of visitors but this one was truly unexpected.

This guy (or gal?) showed up Friday morning on a jet ski dock at a home on the mainland near Shallotte Inlet...
(between Holden Beach & Ocean Isle Beach)

Read the full article here (with full size photo)

2011 Shark Attack Stats (with Video)

The International Shark Attack File (ISAF) investigated 125 alleged incidents of shark-human interaction occurring worldwide in 2011. Upon review, 75 of these incidents represented confirmed cases of unprovoked shark attack on humans...

The 2011 yearly total of 75 unprovoked attacks was lower than the 81 unprovoked attacks recorded in 2010. However, the number of worldwide unprovoked shark attacks has grown at a steady pace since 1900 with each decade having more attacks than the previous. The numerical growth in shark interactions does not necessarily mean that there is an increase in the rate of shark attack; rather it most likely reflects the ever-increasing amount of time spent in the sea by humans, which increases the opportunities for interaction between the two affected parties....

As in recent years, Florida again had most of the unprovoked attacks in the United States. The total of 11 Florida bites fell well below the 2001-2010 average of 23.4. Additional U.S. attacks were recorded in Alabama (2), North Carolina (4), California (3), Texas (2), South Carolina (2), Hawaii (3), and Oregon (2). Within Florida, Volusia County had the most incidents (6). This area normally has higher numbers of shark-human interactions as a result of very high aquatic recreational utilization of its attractive waters by both Florida residents and tourists, especially surfers. Other Florida areas having attacks in 2011 were St. Johns (2), Brevard (2), and Palm Beach (1) counties...

Read the full ISAF release here
Blog posts re 2011 NC shark attacks, click here

Video: Retreiver Rides a Wave in Carolina Beach

Who says the water is cold at Carolina Beach? Not Keira who does a pretty good job of riding in a wave.

This entertaining video was posted on Youtube by juniorfrolics.

New Greenpeace 'Rainbow Warrior' Flagship To Arrive in Southport

February 3, 2012 - Southport, NC - On February 11th the new Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior flagship will arrive in Southport. The custom built vessel has recently arrived from Europe and is one of the most advanced sailing ships in the world.

This is the third 'Rainbow Warrior' ship in Greenpeace history. The first was bombed by the French Navy in 1985. Over the past 40 years Greenpeace ships have been used in missions as diverse as blocking illegal timber shipments, confronting whalers, and conducting scientific research in the Arctic.

The ship is visiting North Carolina to target local utility company Duke Energy, which Greenpeace says is holding the state back from developing clean energy and new jobs in the offshore wind industry. Duke operates some of the most polluting coal fired power stations in the state in places like Gaston County (Riverbend Steam Station) and Catawba County (Marshall Steam Station).

Students from the University of North Carolina Wilmington will be volunteering over the weekend, to promote the use of renewable energy brought in their home state. The students plan to launch a new campaign from the ship calling on UNCW to move to 100% renewable energy.

After Southport The Rainbow Warrior will visit and Ft Lauderdale and St. Petersburg before heading to Brazil for the UN “Earth Summit” in Rio de Janeiro in June.

The ship will be open to the public on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of February between 10am and 4pm.

Private tours of the ship and interviews with the Captain are available to journalists and bloggers from Saturday onwards. Please call 415-812-1142 for more information.

The ship will be anchored in the Cape Fear River with free shuttle boat service provided from the Southport Yacht Basin. Please wear closed toe shoes and weather appropriate clothing.

Please contact media officer James Turner for more information on 415-812-1142.

Guest Photographer Series: Scenic Images from Around Pleasure Island by Abby Perdue

Here are some lovely photos from around Pleasure Island, NC. The photographer is Abby Perdue and she has been nice enough to share a few of her family pictures with blog readers.

Abby is from the Ohio and she and her family moved here last year to get away from the harsh winters and enjoy the family friendly environment of Pleasure Island. Her photos really capture that family fun is always just around the corner in our wonderful beach town.

NOTE: If anyone else has some favorite photos from Pleasure Island and would like to share them with blog readers, please send an email to admin@carolinabeachtoday -Thanks.

Photo: Bald Eagle On Bald Head Island

February 2, 2012
by Gary
TownofBaldHeadIsland.com

This beautiful Bald Eagle has been hanging out at the marina on Bald Head Island...

Bald Head Island has an ever changing avian population, including white ibis, pelicans, and bald eagles. During the summer months, the Conservancy sponsors a series of “Turtle Walks” designed to teach visitors about the island’s most famous residents, the loggerhead turtles that come to nest...

Read the full article here (includes additional photo)

Video: Having Fun on Pleasure Island, NC

This video was recently posted on Vimeo by Green Hope Productions and features some fun images from around Pleasure Island (including the Fort Fisher Aquarium frog). So take a look and be prepared to smile for this is a very entertaining 1 minute, 4o second ride. PS. Fun tune as well.

Green Hope Productions is based right here in Carolina Beach and you can follow them on Facebook or on their website.

Aislin & Nathan from Green Hope Productions on Vimeo.

Recently Restored Blackbeard Artifacts to be Displayed at Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC

BEAUFORT – A small cannon recovered from the 1718 shipwreck of Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), will be on display for the public in late February at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

Other newly restored artifacts to be added to the museum’s ongoing Blackbeard exhibit include a pewter decorated wooden knife handle, cannon wadding, and a hand grenade.

“The 19-inch bronze cannon possibly was used as a signal gun to warn victims of the pirate ship’s presence or as part of combat,” explains nautical archaeologist David Moore, with the N.C. Maritime Museum. “In fact, there is evidence that the cannon was well-used, as the vent had been worn from explosions and was replaced by the crew,”

An unexpected find in a 2007 dive of the shipwreck, was the 4-inch wooden knife handle adorned with pewter trim. ”It is remarkable that a wooden object has survived nearly 300 years on the ocean floor,” said QAR Chief Conservator Sarah Watkins-Kenney, who noted the knife blade did not survive.

Currently 300 individual artifacts are in the Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit in Beaufort. Other Blackbeard artifacts can be found at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

To date, more than 280,000 individual pieces have been recovered since the wreck’s discovery in 1996 by the Florida-based research firm Intersal, Inc.

Once recovered, artifacts are conserved at the Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation lab, housed at East Carolina University in Greenville, where students assist professional staff with restoration work.

The Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project and the N.C. Maritime Musuems are within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

The N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort offers maritime history and coastal cultures. Exhibits offer lifesaving stations and lighthouses, sailboats and motor boats, and the rich seafood industry.

The Beaufort museum is the official repository for artifacts from the shipwreck of Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, which ran aground near Beaufort in 1718.

For more information call (252) 728-7317 or visit N.C. Maritime Museum -Beaufort and N.C. Maritime Museums

Fuzzy Peach Frozen Yogurt to Open in Carolina Beach

January 31, 2012
By Samantha Freda
Greater Wilmington Business Journal

Frozen yogurt business The Fuzzy Peach's Carolina Beach location is expected to open between March and April at 103 North Lake Blvd in Carolina Beach. It will be very similar to the other stores, however they plan on incorporating outdoor seating and walking samples around to take advantage of their nearly beachfront location. A grand opening will be announced on the company’s Facebook page.

The Fuzzy Peach was started by UNCW graduates Rocco Quaranto, Wells Struble and Jason Nista. After meeting freshman year and graduating together from the business program in 2008, the three spent some time in the corporate field before coming together again two years after graduation to open The Fuzzy Peach in Wilmington...

Read the full story here.

2012 Step Up For Soldiers BBQ Cook-Off Huge Success (Photos)

The Step Up For Soldiers Backyard BBQ Cook-Off which was held on 01/28/2012 at the Carolina Beach Lake was a huge success.

The event set a one day fund raising record for Step Up For Soldiers by raising over $20,000.

To view photos of the event taken by Southern Digital Art, check out these albums:
Aerial Pics (7)
Random shots (200)
The Winner (14)
The Judges (33)
Cooking overnight (30)
Setting Up (16)

Above photo by SouthernDigitalArt.com

The Step Up For Soldiers Backyard BBQ Cook-Off which was held on 01/28/2012 at the Carolina Beach Lake was a huge success.

The event set a one day record for Step Up For Soldiers by raising over $20,000. You can view photos of the event at the

To view photos of the event by Southern Digital Art, check out these albums:
Aerial Pics (7)
Random shots (200)
The Winner (14)
The Judges (33)
Cooking overnight (30)
Setting Up (16)

Above photo by SouthernDigitalArt.com

Lumina News: Doctors renew push to ban teens from tanning beds

by Michelle Saxton
Thursday, January 26, 2012

A legislative study commission is examining the issue of whether to ban older teenagers from tanning salons in an effort to help address skin cancer among youth.

North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force committee members met recently to learn more about doctors’ continued efforts to increase the age of children requiring a written prescription to use indoor tanning equipment from 13 to younger than 18.

The North Carolina Dermatology Association has supported expanding the state’s ban and maintains tanning beds lead to an increased risk of melanoma — the most serious form of skin cancer...

Read the full Lumina News story here
Photo from article