5 things to know about Surf City

Madison Lipe, Wilmington StarNews
·1 min read

Surf City, which became a town in 1949, is located partly on Topsail Island and partly on the mainland, and the history of the way the island is connected to the mainland dates back to 1941, before the town was officially founded.

The town used to be a small fishing village that was home to a handful of families where farmers would herd their cattle over to the island to graze in the winter months. Then the military built a pontoon bridge to connect the island to the mainland for Camp Davis.

Here are some interesting things to know about the town:

  • Mayor Teresa Batts’ grandfather was one of the first bridge tenders for the old steel swing bridge.

  • Surf City is home to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. It recently took in more than 100 cold-stunned sea turtles.

  • The Surf City bridge has just under 3/4 of a mile of bike lanes and multi-use lanes for people who want to enjoy the views from the bridge.

  • Ecological Marine Adventures in Surf City has touch tanks where visitors can interact with a diamondback terrapin, horseshoe crabs and bamboo sharks.

  • Black Drum, King Mackerel, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout and Bluefin Tuna are the most common fish caught among Surf City recreational fishermen.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Interesting facts about Surf City, NC, in Pender County