Carolina Ocean Studies; Coastal Field Trips and Outdoor Education

Carolina Ocean Studies was fabulous to work with for our large group of 150 students! They coordinated 2 ferries to island hop to Cape Lookout & Shackleford Banks. They helped with planning every step of the way and it was a great trip for the 8th graders who hadn’t been on a big field trip in 4 years. The kids really enjoyed themselves. Thank you for making this a smooth and enjoyable experience!

We had a wonderful trip with the 5th graders at our elementary school. We were picked up by the ferry and carried over to Shackleford Banks where we crabbed, created a small ecosystem, and saw the wild horses. We then went over to Cape Lookout where we toured the home of the lighthouse keeper, and collected seashells and learned about the different types of seashells. It was one of the most educational and fun field trips I’ve ever been on with my children!

Our school had the absolute best field trip ever! We participated in the Biggest Catch. Students were able to fish (everyone caught something!), look at many sea creatures and dissect squid. The students and parents had an amazing time and the quote of the day that was said over and over was "best trip EVER". Carolina Ocean Studies was wonderful to plan and work with. Everything was well organized and ran very smoothly. We will definitely plan this trip again!

I am here visiting my son for his field trip from Florida,Jake Ray & Megan were our main tour guides they were wonderful very informative and made this field trip for my son niece & I a lot of fun and had a good time. Very much appreciated you guys you were wonderful! You definitely made my trip up here a great
experience with my son. Thank you

We had an incredible experience with Carolina Ocean Studies for our Nature Connect/Three Pines Project EOY celebration! Our group went on the Island and Sound Exploration trip and we were so impressed by all the hands on learning, extremely knowledgeable staff and the orientation/safety procedures for our chaperones! Extremely well run program and we can't wait for another adventure together!!

All instructors were incredibly knowledgeable and worked well with the kids. They also had a wide variety of activities that kept students' (and teachers!) interests. Communication was direct and consistent. They were also flexible with student needs. Jake was a fantastic director. I would strongly recommend Carolina Ocean Studies.

This was an amazing trip for school education and just bonding with classmates,. I’ve been twice with both my son and daughter. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable and had a great way of keeping kids attention. The hands-on activities were so engaging and rewarding for the kids. So many kids would never have had the opportunity to go on a boat or have access to Masonboro Island if it was not for this program.
Wilmington NC Local

The field trip to Masonboro with my daughter's class was so much fun! The weather was perfect. The kids enjoyed stations exploring all over the island. I enjoyed being able to take part in all the fun! The instructors were very patient and had great information and guidance for the children. The perfect day!

This trip was awesome!! Everyone had so much fun, especially looking for creatures to create our own little ecosystems. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. We will definitely return!

A fantastic option for a homeschool friendly ocean studies trip.
We got more than we expected out of the experience. We learned about 3 islands, did hand crabbing, saw the outer banks ponies, learned about estuaries, marshes, beaches, lighthouses, and more. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, gave clear directions, and organized the groups very well. Bring a lunch and water, wear closed shoes for safety. There is no waste pickup on the island so be prepared to take any of your trash back with you.

There is a tip jar (easy to miss) on the ferry boats, don't be afraid to tip the ferry drivers they do an excellent job with pickup and drop-off.

I have had the privilege of working with Carolina Ocean Studies for several years. The staff at COS strive to educate, inform and entertain my school groups while they visit the Wilmington, NC area. Jake, Sandie and Richard are each professional, easy to work with and very informative. I highly recommend working with them for your school groups, family outings, sunset cruises, etc!

We have been taking school field trips with this group for over 13 years. It is a wonderful experience come rain or shine. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and caring. My students always have a great time and will never forget the trip. What a fun way to learn and reinforce what they have learned!

Amazing trip for our 5th grade students. Actually being able to take their education outside of the classroom and apply all the science curriculum they’ve learned over the school year was absolutely rewarding. The students enjoyed being able to have this experience. Definitely recommend.

This was our second time on this trip (years apart). The instructors do a great job of leading educational activities that are memorable for the students! And the ride on a boat to experience Masonboro island is a great opportunity.

We went out today on a trip to Masonboro Island with CFCI. The group is awesome! Safety was their number one concern, the presentations were engaging and fun, and the staff was awesome! Even the adults enjoyed this one. I was super impressed by how organized everything was while still being fun and educational. I would 100% recommend them to anyone!

This was a wonderful field trip for our 5th graders!
Definitely recommend! There was such great communication in advance of the trip and the instructors really made us feel safe and cared for!

WOW!!!!! I have been teaching 23 years and this is by far the best experience I have had the privilege of taking my students on. Carolina Ocean Studies is thorough, organized, and makes learning fun! Their communication was on point and very detailed! We took 33 7th graders to Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout. We were lucky enough to see a foal with her mother on our trip!!! They were grazing near us the entire time we were on Shackleford. The instructors were knowledgable and made this experience for our students exciting. Our students were engaged the entire time and many parents have contacted me after letting me know how much their child enjoyed this experience. I wish every NC student could go on this trip! We plan to book every year now! There is an adorable general store on the way, "Seaside General Store & Restaurant" where we stopped on the way back and the owner let me know they have box lunches we can order prior to our trip next year to pick up. They also have a private room off the restaurant were you seat 30 students for lunch or dinner. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this trip for your students!

Carolina Ocean Studies does an excellent job each year with our fifth grade students. We visit Masonboro Island and Kure Beach Pier. The programs are well organized and the staff keep students engaged. Our students look forward to this field trip each year.

Jake was our guide for our masonboro island tour. We had such an amazing time learning about the island, different types of crabs, snails and sea shells. It was such an amazing hands on experience where we all learned so much and had so much fun! Jake did an amazing job teaching and explaining things so that we all understood. We were able to catch crabs and hunt for sea shells. We can not wait to book another tour!

Carolina Ocean Studies is such an amazing program and a great experience for students and teachers. The employees are extremely welcoming and friendly. I strongly recommend this experience to all!