Coquina Beach, North Carolina
editThe word ‘Coquina’ comes from the Spanish word for "cockle", an incompletely consolidated sedimentary rock.
Coquina Beach, considered by locals to be the loveliest beach in the Outer Banks, is located off highway 12 at milepost 26, 8 miles south of Nags Head, North Carolina.
Geography
edit"Coquina is known for its miles of wave-drenched golden sands, its towering dunes, and it’s gracefully swaying Sea Oats" (Weibel). These reasons alone make it a local favorite and ideal vacation spot. Waves are usually in the 2-6' range and suitable for beginners to advanced surfers. The beach can be enjoyed all alone, even in the summer because of the nice quiet atmosphere. Coquina is strikingly clean and the water is pretty clear for the East Coast. "Most days the water is blown out by SW winds, but fronts can pass and the wind turns more northwesterly after a protracted period of SW winds, making a perfectly enjoyable beach day" (Frankenberg).
Commercial Fishing
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In addition to offering beauty and solitude, Coquina also provides a unique glimpse into the rapidly vanishing commercial fishing industry. "Every day, in good weather and bad, commercial fishermen spread nets out in long lines on the hard-packed sand, checking for tears and tangles" (Weibel). After passing inspection, the nets are loaded onto small hand-built wooden boats, also called dorys, which fight their way through surf and drop them in calmer waters 50 to 75 feet from the Atlantic shore. Later in the day, these same boats retrieve the ends of the nets, cruise to shore, and attach them to pickup trucks. Local businesses rely on commercial fishing for fresh seafood and employment throughout the year.
Tourism
editTourist attractions range anywhere from on-shore fishing to the wild horses that roam on the beach to families of all ages enjoying a holiday or simple vacation together. The infamous wild horses are spotted on rare occasions, and travel in herds. They are the descendants of Spanish Mustangs which survived early shipwrecks and historical research records the horses on the Outer Banks as early as 1523. With the increasing development in their habitat, the beautiful wild horses are under the pressure of encroachment of their range, particularly from vehicle traffic. However, there are several programs being implemented to protect them.
Fishing on the Outer Banks, particularly Coquina Beach, can be on or off shore. Local fisherman can be seen casting reels and nets into the shorebreak on any given day, while boats varying in size and shape are dropping nets into the Atlantic and pulling in different species of saltwater fish.
"With its historic fishing villages and some of the best surfing along the East Coast, Coquina Beach was included in the 2009 Top 10 Beaches ranking, as judged by Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research" ("For Choice Travel Experiences"). The beach is a relaxing, mellow spot to surf during the late summer and early fall as well.
History
editAlso native to Coquina Beach, NC is the Laura Barnes shipwreck. The Laura Barnes is representative of the many wooden sailing ships that were lost on the Outer Banks. "The four-masted schooner out of Camden, Maine was driven ashore during a nor’easter on the night of June 1, 1921" ("The Laura Barnes Shipwreck"). The entire crew was rescued by Coast Guardsmen from nearby Bodie Island Station and the stranded ship was stripped and sold to some locals for salvage at an auction. Some parts of the Laura Barnes went into building a house, which is a very common occurrence on the Outer Banks. Storms shifted the remaining wreckage about a mile south of the original location on Coquina Beach, across from the Bodie Island Lighthouse. There, an exhibit is provided for public viewing, giving additional information about the wreck.
Accessibility
editNot only is Coquina Beach accessible by foot, but is also available for anyone with a valid permit to drive on or host a bonfire.
References
edit1. "Coquina Beach, Dare County, North Carolina." GoingOutside.com Beaches. Stratus Pickpuk, Inc, n.d. Web. 29 Mar 2010. <http://www.goingoutside.com/beach/1001401_Coquina_Beach_North_Carolina.html>.
2. "For Choice Travel Experiences." Coquina Beach Review. Fodor's, n.d. Web. 29 Mar 2010. <http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/north-carolina/the-north-carolina-coast/review-132818.html>.
3. Frankenberg, Dirk. "Coquina Beach." The Northern Outer Banks. LEARN NC, 2005. Web. 29 Mar 2010. <http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/cede_nobx/433>.
4. "The Laura Barnes Shipwreck ." Shipwrecks, The Graveyard of the Atlantic, and Diamond Shoals. Coastal Guide, n.d. Web. 29 Mar 2010. <http://www.coastalguide.com/helmsman/shipwrecks-graveyard.shtml>.
5. Weibel, Barbara. "Coquina Beach, Nags Head, Outer Banks, North Carolina." Uptake Beach. UpTake Networks, Inc, 16 Apr 2009. Web. 29 Mar 2010. <http://beaches.uptake.com/blog/coquina-beach-nags-head-outer-banks-north-carolina.html>.