Local Spotlight
Masonboro Water Taxi Is Wilmington's Easiest Way to a Real Deserted Island
Captain James Thornton has run these waters for 27 years — book a ride to Masonboro Island's nine miles of undeveloped beach, no boat of your own required. A great first-weeks-of-the-semester trip for new UNCW students, too.
Masonboro Island sits just off Wrightsville Beach, nine miles of undeveloped barrier island reachable only by water, no bridge, no cars, no development. Masonboro Water Taxi is the easy way there.
Captain James Thornton has run these waters for 27 years, and it shows in how personal the trip feels: the boat is licensed for up to six passengers, so it is a small group with someone who genuinely knows the coastline, not a big tour boat working a script. Once you are dropped on the island, the day is yours, shelling, surfing, birding, or just walking a stretch of beach that most visitors never reach.
Beyond the island run, Captain Thornton also covers Howe Creek, Harbor Island, Figure Eight, Bradley Creek, and the Cape Fear River, and private charters are available if you want the boat to yourself.
With a new UNCW semester starting, this is one of the easiest real adventures near campus, a short hop from Wrightsville Beach and no car needed once you are on the water. Good for a weekend with friends, a study break, or just seeing a part of the Cape Fear coast most people only hear about.
Call ahead to book, Captain Thornton takes reservations by phone up to 9:30 PM: (910) 540-2260, or visit masonborowatertaxi.com.