Ocean Lakes

One of our baby swans had a close call that serves as a reminder of the importance of discarding fishing line properly. The baby swans on Magnolia Lake on Wednesday. The baby swan, which left its nest for the first time this week, grabbed a fishing lure Thursday evening that was hanging from a tree in one of the lakes, sending the hook through its little beak. The baby was hanging from the line, and the parents were frantic. Our Security team contacted one of our residents who we knew has experience in bird and animal rescues and rehabs, Jo Coeyman. She quickly grabbed a kayak to reach the baby swan. “While she was getting the kayak, the parents kept swimming up to me, I swear they were asking for help,” said Tracy Wright, our Security teammate who responded to the lake to help the swan. “I told them it was coming.” Ocean Lakes resident Jo Coeyman, who has experience in animal rescues, carefully removes the fishing lure from the baby swan's beak. C...

Guests headed this way for Easter weekend will have lots of activities at Ocean Lakes to celebrate the holiday, from the traditional Easter sunrise service to a new twist on the kids’ egg hunt. The campground will be full for Easter weekend, and our facilities will be in full swing – including our water park and outdoor pool. The water park will be open April 14 through April 16, then shut down until May. The outdoor pool will open for the season the week before Easter. Brush up on our water park rules and check out the water park's full 2017 schedule .  Not quite ready for a swim this early in the year? No problem. We have a jam-packed lineup of free, family-focused events during Easter weekend for guests staying with us. “Everything is just show up – nothing you have to sign up for in advance – and everything is free,” said Salle Horner, Sandy Harbor and Recreational Activities Coordinator. One of the highlights: an Easter Obstacle Course, whi...

When you think of October at Ocean Lakes, you probably envision the creepy sites, the crazy costumes and other Halloween fun. But there’s another special group that quietly makes Ocean Lakes a regular stop every October. Ocean Lakes partners with Little Pink Houses of Hope , which provides free beach vacations to breast cancer patients and their families. The goal is to promote recovery by offering opportunities to connect and celebrate life in a beach setting. About eight to 11 breast cancer patients and their families come to Ocean Lakes through the Burlington, N.C.-based non-profit every October, which coincidentally happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Little Pink Houses, which has about a dozen beach retreats in the United States every year, arranges the details of the vacations so the families can simply show up and start having fun. “All they have to do is just get themselves here,” said Cristi Seay, the Myrtle Beach Retreat Coordinator...

Ocean Lakes guests are gearing up for their spring vacations, and many have the same question: When’s the water park opening? Here’s a guide for when the Sandy Harbor Water Park will open and close this year: Easter | Open for the big Easter crowds April 14 through April 16, then will shut down until May May | Open on the weekends only (Saturday and Sunday) with “hours as posted” Summer | Opens full time Memorial Day weekend and will stay on summer hours through Labor Day Fall | Open under “hours as posted” through Sept. 30 At times, the lazy river and Splash Zone will be open, but the slides may not be.  Many factors influence when the water park can operate, including weather and staffing. Most of the lifeguards who work during the summer are high school and college students who are in class other times of the year, including the spring and fall. That makes finding certified lifeguards a challenge when school is in session. Because of t...