H2O Captain

09/22/2024

Rain or shine we find the horses for our wonderful passengers. These 6 friends were a blast to take around our beautiful area! Reserve your adventure travel private tour today at https://h2ocaptain.com

09/12/2024

Today's excursion was a lucky one in our 'Round We Go private tour. We found 3 wild horses on Shackleford Banks, (1 a nursing foal) and 3 additional ones in the Rachel Carson Reserve. A banner day! #

09/01/2024

A chillaxin' day out on Shackleford Banks finding wonderful Lettered Olive shells plus swimming in the protected waters and in the ocean today with 3 generations of one family (4 members shown here). To reserve your chillaxin' day out on the water or adventure travel click https://h2ocaptain.com

08/31/2024

Nationally acclaimed artist and local hero Stephen Moore Paintings was our passenger again to take photos of the wild horses on Shackleford Banks and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. 1/2 dozen have already been commissioned by ArtSource in Raleigh for their holiday show. Shown here are some of the photos that Captain Mark took. Book your adventure travel trip at https://h2ocaptain.com

08/27/2024

Nothing like a Summer Sunset Cruise! Besides finding them wild horses, we observed TWO (2) "flying" rays that had approximately 5 feet of air underneath them while they were flapping their "wings!!" INCREDIBLE!! Sadly, we did not capture that National Geographic moment on our cameras, plus we were up close with a mother and a baby dolphin. Lastly, a baby wild horse called a foal. What a night. Book your Fall Sunset Cruises today at https://h2ocaptain.com

08/26/2024

A 25th Anniversary Private Boat Excursion setting out to find some wild horses. Well...Captain Mark found MANY wild horses for this young couple's special event, including 2 baby wild horses (called foals).foal. What a day! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. Reserve your Anniversary date today at https://h2ocaptain.com

08/25/2024

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service, a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department and those yet to be established.

At H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions we thank the actions that were taken 108 years ago for it is the NPS that has given us our Permit, which you can see on our boats' windshield, to legally allow our Charter Boat Company to take visitors to The Cape Lookout National Seashore including, experiencing the wild horses and to discover great shelling on Shackleford Banks and to see the iconic symbol of North Carolina that is the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. Thank you.

To book your Fall private boat tour, reserve your place today at https://h2ocaptain.com.

08/16/2024

Yesterday, on a BWB...Repeat Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursion we got this lucky short video! https://youtu.be/B0zCnafNBbg Book your adventure travel tour today at https://h2ocaptain.com

BWB...Repeat Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions from 15AUG2024Book your adventure travel trip today at https://h2ocaptain.com

08/06/2024

We have been remiss by not posting for the past week. I will try to make up some of those excursions this week as excursions, except for today, have either been canceled or postponed due to Hurricane Debby.
Today's quartet of a family was a 3-peat. We can now report that there is a new member at the Rachel Carson Reserve. Just a few days old and so very cute, this foal discovered that it had 4 legs as we watched while the foal was trying to balance and run. Just adorable.
To reserve your eco-tour private boat excursion click https://h2ocaptain.com

07/15/2024

Today, 1 sea turtle, 4 dolphins, 5 wild horses including a baby, AND great shells!!!! To book YOUR adventure travel trip sign up at https://h2ocaptain.com Atlantic Beach N.C. Locals and New Bern, North Carolina

07/13/2024

Swept Away
I had no idea how many people’s lives Lucky affected. Just the other day 4 kids had asked their parents if Lucky would be onboard this year’s excursion as last year it was too hot for him to join. The parents sadly had to report, as seen on the H2O Captain website, that Lucky had just been assisted over the Rainbow Bridge.

In an amazingly compassionate performance, an artist I had taken out a few times heard the news, and on his own found a photo of Lucky, and as a surprise to me painted him and presented it as a gift. Stephen Moore https://www.stephenmoorepaintings.com/ is a local artist with a national audience. Words cannot express my deep gratitude to him for creating his artistry in just a few days. Here is his artwork of my 1st Mate Lucky, where it now hangs in the breakfast nook at our home.

Others have sent letters to me. Each one of these outreaches makes me cry with “joy” that people were part of Lucky’s life and that Lucky was part of theirs. Lucky was so special. THANK YOU ALL!! --Captain Mark

07/11/2024

Yesterday was a Bahamian day which featured finding 21 (twenty-one!!) wild horses with a human family of 6 where we visited Shackleford Banks AND the Cape Lookout Lighthouse!! What a day!! To book your adventure travel eco-tour private boat excursions click https://h2ocaptain.com

07/10/2024

What a wonderful day out with a wonderful family. It makes my job, well...wonderful! Walking on the beach 5 wild horses including a foal (baby horse).

07/06/2024

July 4th weekend on Shackleford Banks looking for the wild horses!

07/06/2024

Fortunately, I led some wonderful families on their adventure travel excursions over the past few days which assisted me in getting my mind, at least for a bunch of hours off of losing my 1st Mate. This trip took us to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, the most southern place in the Outer Banks of NC.

06/28/2024

I recognize in my last 3 posts my subject matter regarding "life" has been a bit "heavy." I wish to thank everyone who commented. My NY friends, my VA friends, my NC friends, my musician friends, my skiing friends, my kayaking friends, my boating friends, friends I didn't even know that I had, people who I don't know for all your comments, support, well wishes and prayers.

I won't belabor my situation except to let you know it will take some time before any one thing that reminds me of Lucky can automatically make me break out in tears yet again.

Two people shared an image with me, and I would like to share them with you as it was evident that so many of you have also gone through this, some of you several times. These images explain how I am feeling, you may have felt the same. Thank you again, everyone, for caring. That too touches my heart. Hugs...and love...

06/27/2024

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
--"Wildflowers" by the late musician Tom Petty
Photos taken 2/8/24

06/25/2024

It is done. The photo is from Michele Richards who, while babysitting for Lucky was met with this as she walked in! Fortunately, she had her camera in hand to take this wonderful photo of my little man.
In the short “ceremony” we had for Lucky, Lucky was honored by Pastor Jim Daub, ACS Chaplain, USCG who wrote this prayer for him:
I know today will be a difficult day for all, as this is a difficult decision driven by love. You are not disappointing Lucky or doing anything wrong, in fact, allowing Lucky to cross the Rainbow Bridge with dignity is probably the greatest sign of your love and dedication to him. Here is a prayer that I have written for you to pray when the vet is there if you so choose or to use any time.
“O Most loving and gracious G-d, creator of heaven and earth. We know that while You have given man dominion over the beasts of the air, land, and sea - You also give us faithful and loving animals to be our companions, confidant, and friends. We give You thanks for the many miles walked, waves crossed, and mountains traversed that Lucky has experienced. We thank you for his love given to us and all whom he met. While we desire to have him with us longer, love tells us that we do not want him to suffer and that his time has come to be set free. Bless Dr. Bailey and Miss Bridget, as they now help bring Lucky's earthly suffering to an end. Bless them in her work as a doctor and nurse so that they may continue to have clarity of mind, steadiness of hand, and overflowing of compassion of heart with all of their patients.
Help our hearts heal in this veil of tears and may the memories remain of how blessed we have been through our ship and hiking-mate Lucky.
May he now cross and rest in peace and may our hearts heal in time. We ask all this in Your mighty name. Amen.”
Blessings my friend.
Shalom to you this day and always,

06/25/2024

Please forgive me. Although no one can forgive anyone for putting his dog to sleep forever and taking life away from the one you love. We have an end-of-life appointment tomorrow at 4pm at the veterinarian’s office.

Please pray that we are doing the “right thing.” Please also send some of your positive energies to Lucky for the hopeful safe and comfortable final hike over the Rainbow Bridge to the other side. (You all were GREAT when I asked you to do that back on 11NOV21 when he had a 2.5 tumor taken off his liver.) Please help him one more time!

Today I took Lucky to 2 trails in the hopes he might remember them. It was quite a hot and very humid day, but I thought it might have some value to Lucky. Please see photo.

The injections tomorrow come almost 15.5 years later than the original injections were supposed to go into him when we rescued him from a kill shelter in Virginia when he only had 2 hours left on his clock. He was approximately 10 weeks old at the time. He quickly became the poster pooch for non-euthanasia at any shelter as he turned out to have a full life and a good life (we hope) of hiking on/around the Appalachian Trail in parts from NC to NH; cross country skiing, snowshoeing, boating, boating with passengers from H2O Captain, making friends with humans and other dogs, running after black bears, opossums, raccoons, bunnies, squirrels, bobcats, foxes, deer, lizards, horses, etc.

At the end of the day, our names should have been reversed as I am/was the LUCKY one. I’m so sorry for what I am about to do to you. Please forgive me. ☹

06/20/2024

No horses, BUT a raided turtle nest :( You can see Moma's tracks leading to and from her nest which got raided that night by either a coyote or raccoon (my guess).

06/18/2024

This couple's only wish was to see a wild horse. Although we had to walk a bit further than anticipated, Captain Mark found her a total on the day of 11 horses with 6 of them up close! Mission accomplished! To sign up for your adventure travel trip go to https://h2ocaptain.com

06/17/2024

A 12-horse day (including a baby), as well as 6 dolphins AND some swimming with a wonderful family of 5! To sign up for your adventure travel trip go to https://h2ocaptain.com

06/11/2024

A new blog just dropped today, entitled, "Shellebrate" on Shackleford Banks on the Crystal Coast in North Carolina https://h2ocaptain.com/blog

Shackleford Wild Horses and great shelling in NC, Crystal Coast Dolphin Tours, see the Cape Lookout Lighthouse

06/10/2024

Today's excursion had onboard a little human just 5 weeks old! We showed her 19 horses and 7-10 dolphins not to mention all the very large fishing boats participating in The Big Rock. What a day! Sign up for your adventure travel trip today at https://h2ocaptain.com

06/01/2024

If summer is a play, June is its opening act. If summer is a feeling, for me, Captain Mark, it’s all hope, all anticipation. Let the longer days spread out before us. Let us spread ourselves out in them, to experience the wild horses, discover great shelling, view our beautiful and Bahamian-like waterways in the hopes of seeing dolphins swimming freely or taking a dip in our warm 80+ degree water, then relaxing in the late afternoon with a beverage at your vacation rental and continuing to breath in the salt air. Now that’s the definition of summer! (words loosely taken from today’s NY Times).
To enjoy the wild horses, shelling, dolphin and sunset cruises, book your eco-tour private boat excursion now at https://h2ocaptain.com. Welcome aboard!

05/31/2024

My 1st Mate Lucky the Dog featured in our local newspaper, the Carteret County News-Times this week. Please scroll down to the bottom.

Dive right into Lookout newsletter from Carteret County News-Times View in a web browser   Exciting Changes to Our Website! Read a letter from publisher Lockwood Phillips and watch our video for an

05/30/2024

The water temperature today was 82.6 degrees! Time to book your adventure travel ecotour private boat excursion. Click here now to view our many options https://h2ocaptain.com

See the top attractions in Atlantic Beach & Beaufort, NC. Join us for a tour of the wild horses on Shackleford, Cape Lookout or Sand Dollar Island! Book now!

05/28/2024

A new BLOG just dropped, entitled, "The Turtles of Cape Lookout and Shackleford Banks at the Crystal Coast, NC." Catch it at

Shackleford Wild Horses and great shelling in NC, Crystal Coast Dolphin Tours, see the Cape Lookout Lighthouse

05/27/2024

Summer is Here! Reserve your adventure travel trip to see the wild horses, discover great shelling, see the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, see wild dolphins, experience a Sunset Cruise, and sightsee from the H2O Captain boat at https://h2ocaptain.com

05/20/2024

Reflecting on a bustling week at H2O Captain Eco-Tour Private Boat Excursions, Captain Mark had the pleasure of guiding guests through the enchanting areas: Sand Dollar Island, Shackleford Banks, along the serene Intracoastal Waterway, and through the scenic ports of Morehead City and Beaufort. A visit to the Rachel Carson Reserve was also a highlight. The week was especially poignant as Captain Mark had the solemn privilege of conducting another Burial at Sea for a family’s loved one.

In the "job description" given to Captain Mark, there was only 1 thing of importance. Find them some horses! So...19 wild horses were found, some up close. What a day! Reserve your Wild Horse and Shelling Private Excursion today at https://h2ocaptain.com 🌊⚓