Watch List: Visit the Marine Lab

Although Beaufort, N.C. may not be on everyone’s list of “places to see before I die," the Duke Marine Lab has certainly been the biggest incentive for students to make the three-hour drive out to the East Coast.

Situated right on the edge of the N.C. Outer Banks, the Marine Lab has been up and running since the first buildings were erected in 1938. With its oceanfront property and proximity to the town, it didn’t take long before students were packing up their cars and making the trip out to Beaufort to see what all the fuss was about. But once there, it takes a little exploring—and a boat— to find the most interesting spot near the Marine Lab: Shackleford Banks.

Shackleford Banks is an island roughly 30 minutes away by ferry and marks the southernmost point of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. As a natural park, no humans live on the island—which is nine miles long and is an average of a half-mile wide. The biggest reason to make the trip out to Shackleford is not just to enjoy some peace and quiet, but rather to get a look at one of the 110-130 wild horses that call Shackleford home.

These animals have been there for centuries and one will hear several origin stories from the locals, with the most popular one involves a Spanish shipwreck. And just to be clear, while the horses are beautiful, stick to taking pictures. They are wild animals after all, and approaching one may not be the best course of action.

Aside from admiring and running from the wild horses of Shackleford, students have the opportunity to enjoy some beach time, go kayaking and explore Beaufort. While some students opt to spend their summer at the Marine Lab taking physics, a laid-back weekend trip may be more other peoples’ style and both options are accommodated by Duke.

At $23.00 per day for a room and $13.00 for a week’s worth of linens—according to the Duke Marine Lab website—a trip to the Marine Lab is a nice, feasible way to spend a weekend. Whether it’s as a getaway trip during the school year or a beach trip to visit some friends on the physics struggle bus, the Marine Lab is a place that needs to be checked off every student’s bucket list by the time they graduate.