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The site is 22 miles south of Wilmington, bounded by Federal Point to the north, Smith Island to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Cape Fear River to the west.
The lagoon-like complex at the Zeke’s Island site is one of the most unusual areas of the North Carolina coast. There are 3 main islands within the site: Zeke’s Island covering 42 acres of high ground, North Island encompassing 138 upland acres, No Name Island covering about three acres and the beach barrier spit of 64 acres. The islands are fringed with extensive marshes and tidal flats.
While shoals and marshes have continued to appear and disappear in the Basin, the main island of the site- Zeke’s, No Name, and North – have remained stable relative to the sixty-six-acre barrier spit, even though their shorelines periodically increase and erode. Zeke’s and No Name Island have elevations of only a few feet; North Island has several scattered dune systems, one of which reaches to twenty feet above sea level. The unusual characteristics of the site have created a variety of habitats, including tidal flats, salt marshes, shrub thicket, maritime forest, sand dunes, ocean beach and the hard surface of the rocks. Beach amaranth has been found on the site’s foredune areas. Fish, shrimp, crabs, clams and oysters use the estuary as a nursery ground. Both the Atlantic loggerhead and green sea turtles, federally protected threatened species, occasionally nest on the site’s open beaches. The expanse of intertidal flats in the Zeke’s Island vicinity is the single most important shorebird habitat in southeastern North Carolina. Dunlin, black-bellied plovers, short-billed dowitchers, white ibis, great blue herons as well as black ducks, mallards and pintails have been recorded there.
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Getting to the site
U. S. 421 from Wilmington, which provides easy access to all of the recreational areas north of the site, ends at Federal Point – adjacent to the Zeke’s Island site. The N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission maintains a public boat ramp at the northern shore of the Basin. The New Hanover County Parks and Recreation Department maintain a pedestrian beach access facility and vehicular dune crossover on Federal Point. The entrance for these is on U. S. 421, just north of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Access within the reserve is primarily by private boat while the barrier spit is accessible by foot or off-road vehicle.
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Visiting the site
The North Beach of the “basin” is the primary educational area of the site. The barrier-spit portion of the reserve is a popular spot for recreation. Groups should not use No Name Island because it is totally covered by marsh. North Island is the largest and most ecologically diverse. The beach and shrub thicket habitats are least vulnerable to disturbance by visitors. Foot and vehicular traffic more easily disturb dunes. Groups may use the open tidal flats as long as they are not disturbed significantly.
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Management Partners
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