It’s summer, which means manatees will be visiting the waters surrounding our barrier islands — collectively known as the Outer Banks! “First off, practice passive observation,” she said. “Observe from a distance and from above the water. Avoid touching, feeding or giving water to manatees.” To help with tracking manatee visits, Doshkov asks everyone to report any sightings to the Outer Banks Marine Mammal Network at 252-455-9654 or on their website. “We're just trying to get a record of where people are seeing manatees,” she noted. “And that helps us identify spots where they're hanging out.”

We've got the perfect beach snacks ready for you! Grab some sweets before watching the fireworks!!

Welcome back to Thursday's GREET THE GUIDES, where you'll get a little behind-the-scenes peek at this year's awesome team.

Meet Cheryl, though most know her as "Shorty." Hailing from her hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, she currently splits her time between the beaches of Corolla and (in the off season) the mountains of Kentucky. She has been part of our all-star tour team for 5 years now.

Shorty says that of the things she enjoys most about touring guests is, "meeting people from all over the world and helping them fulfill their dream of seeing these majestic mustangs. Watching their eyes light up —from the very young to the young at heart—when they spot one for the first time is such a rewarding aspect of every tour day. Not only are the Banker Horses beautiful to witness, they inspire and teach us many life lessons, such as remaining calm when faced with adversity; that change is inevitable, so it’s best to adapt and take things in stride; and also to be better environmental stewards so we can all coexist for many years to come.”

“Growing up, family vacations were spent at the Outer Banks, and now I get to live here and experience all the OBX has to offer. I’m so grateful to be able to be out on the beach every day with the horses, doing something I absolutely love, with a such a wonderful work team. How lucky can one girl get!!?!”

And we are SO grateful to have her fun, invigorating personality as part of the W.H.A.T team. Year after year, she creates such indelible memories for not only our guests, but for other W.H.A.T team members.