New island forms on North Carolina's Atlantic coast

A new island has formed off the coast of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

The isle is a mile long (1.6km), depending on tides and weather, and separated from the mainland by a (330ft) 100 metre wide channel.

It was first spotted by locals as a "bump" above the water in April, according to the Island Free Press.

Photos taken by a Connecticut tourist have gone viral on Instagram, leading to a boost in curious visitors.

Photographer Chad Koczera described encountering the island during his visit to Cape Point.

"My fiancee and I were driving to the point after a storm to collect shells when we spotted an area we couldn't get to by car," he said.

www.bbc.com...

Aww darn. And here I was thinking we had a new volcano in our back yard.

The island is littered with old shipwrecks and whale bones that poke through its sands, says local historian Danny Couch.

Experts say the shores of the Outer Banks are constantly shifting, as sandbars rise above or sink back below the water.

Park superintendent Dave Hallac has cautioned visitors against trying to swim or walk across the channel to reach the island.

Currents can swiftly carry away a person, while sharks and sting rays have been spotted in the area.

Visitors are advised to use a kayak or paddleboard to reach Hatteras Island, as it's been dubbed.

Maybe China will claim it and build military bases on it too!

a reply to: TrueAmerican

maybe I can beat china to it ,,,, and open up A TIKI BAR .....FREE ENTERPRISE AMERICA....... wonder if i'll need a permit

I thought our uncontrolled rising sea level was going to shrink our coastlines.

a reply to: TrueAmerican

Edgar Cayce was right after all!

I live close to this area. I haven't seen it yet. It sounds cool but there's probably already too many tourists, meaning I don't want to go there.

originally posted by: brushybill13
a reply to: TrueAmerican

maybe I can beat china to it ,,,, and open up A TIKI BAR .....FREE ENTERPRISE AMERICA....... wonder if i'll need a permit

A permit? You'll be lucky if the fish and wildlife service doesn't shut it down within a couple of weeks because a stupid little bird laid eggs on it.

a reply to: TrueAmerican

Doesn't look like it'll be an island for long. But an addition to the land it's adjacent with.

I read about this yesterday.. thought it was kind of neat really. too bad it will probably disappear as fast as it appeared..
wonder how many treasure hunters are scouring over it??

a reply to: dawnstar

Yea I was thinking about all the scrimshaw that whalebone scattered all over could be used for...

a reply to: TrueAmerican
We are planning a trip to South Carolina for the August 21 Solar eclipse, and then spending a few days in North Carolina visiting the coastline. Wife loves Nicholas Sparks books and movies which are set in North Carolina coastal areas. I think adding this to the list of sights is worth it. Especially if there is whale bone. Just over a football field from the shoreline?? I think I can handle that in a small jet ski rental.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: TrueAmerican

Edgar Cayce was right after all!

This is the first thing that comes to mind for me BV also.

a reply to: TrueAmerican

Has anyone stuck a flag in it yet?

originally posted by: Aldakoopa
I live close to this area. I haven't seen it yet. It sounds cool but there's probably already too many tourists, meaning I don't want to go there.

originally posted by: brushybill13
a reply to: TrueAmerican

maybe I can beat china to it ,,,, and open up A TIKI BAR .....FREE ENTERPRISE AMERICA....... wonder if i'll need a permit

A permit? You'll be lucky if the fish and wildlife service doesn't shut it down within a couple of weeks because a stupid little bird laid eggs on it.

Haha!
I had a bumper sticker for a while (not on my car) that had a pic of a piping plover and a blurb about loving them crispy fried.
Apparently the locals don't feel the love for them.

a reply to: TrueAmerican

I have spent so much time on Hatteras Island. Used to surf there every weekend. The Outer Banks Islands are pretty much just sand bars and are constantly changing and shifting. Hurricanes and storms typically split Hatteras Island into several pieces, forming new inlets and islands almost every year.

Alot of the island is a national seashore and protected from development. I could drive 20 miles on the beach and not see a house or any structure, and very few people. (usually pass a few nude sunbathers)

One of my favorite places and the best surf on the east coast.

a reply to: TrueAmerican

no china won`t claim it American developers will claim it and build houses there and sell them for millions of dollars and when the island starts washing away the rich folks who bought the houses will get congress to foot the bill for dredging and barriers to stop the erosion at tax payers expense, because this is American and anything short of that would be communistic or socialistic. but tax payer funded welfare for the rich is totally democratic.