Across a small channel from Beaufort, North Carolina, Carrot Island is part of the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve. The island contains a herd of Spanish horses that have inhabited the North Carolina coast for 400-500 years. These horses can be seen easily from the Beaufort waterfront. In order to get fresh water the horses will dig holes 2-6 feet into the ground.
Carrot Island got its name from the carts that were left on the island by fishermen who emptied their nets on the south side of the island, and used the carts to transport the fish from there, across the Taylor’s Creek channel on a narrow bridge of land that existed then. The name evolved from “Cart Island” to “Carrot Island” over the years.
