We visit the famous Bald Head Island many time. When someone asks us where we go, we normally say "beach". It is like a tradition that "beach" means "ocean", "coast", or "sea". Next time, when someone asks us the same question, we may say "wetland". Our guess is that the response of that answer would be "what?". In fact, when we are in Bald Head Island, we spend quite a lot of time in the north of the island, the wetland. The picture was taken on 23rd July 2010 while high tide was in progress in the wetland.
It is relatively quieter in the wetland compared with beaches on the island. But people on the island enjoy the wetland with different kinds of activities, canoeing, crabbing, walking on boardwalks, bird watching, etc. We enjoy the wetland a lot but we would still tell people we go to the "beach". It is not because we are not telling the truth. It is because the culture forces us to do so.