A rare nest of Leatherback sea turtles located in Kill Devil Hills “boiled” around 9:00 p.m. August 27th. Approximately 60 baby turtles were hatched.
A Leatherback nest is very rare on the Outer Banks, and this is the first recorded occurrence.
Volunteers from NEST monitored the boil and assisted the baby turtles to the ocean when needed.
Bodie Island Light Station is set for much needed restoration.
The grounds and surrounding buildings are in the first stages of preparation for major restoration at the Bodie Island Light Station, just south of Nags Head.
Three historic buildings were recently relocated from the oceanfront to the station’s entrance road in preparation for rehabilitation. Two of the buildings that were relocated, a boathouse built in 1916 and a life saving station from 1879, will be secured on pilings near the lighthouse on the west side of N.C. 12 and prepared for future use. The buildings are expected to be used as a ranger station and garage. The third building, a Coast Guard station built in 1925, will be boarded up until funds are secured to restore it. It’s future use is still undecided, but it could become a visitor center, lifeguard housing or education center. Once funds are secured for the restoration, there will be a public meeting to determine future use.
The restoration project is estimated at $4.5 million. In addition to the restoration of the three buildings, the project will include:
When the project is completed visitors will be able to climb the to the top of the lighthouse and see the amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound for the first time in decades. The improved light station should develop increased popularity because visitor’s have not been able to climb it for so long, and it is located in close proximity to the more urban areas of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk.
The Outer Banks is becoming the focus of a push for pollution-free electricity. Surfers, Kiteboarders, and sailors know how fierce the winds can be along the Outer Banks, and energy experts are starting to take notice.
A small company from Chapel Hill, Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corp., has been developing plans for more than a year to build a “wind farm” 25 miles off the coast of the Outer Banks, and the plans are gaining momentum. The goal is to harness some of the nation’s best wind resources to create environmentally friendly electricity. The wind farm would generate enough power for about 42,000 homes.
If the project reaches fruition, this would be one of the first wind farms in the U.S., but the idea will need to overcome strong public opposition and pass intense environmental scrutiny. The turbines’ blades would reach 465 feet into the sky. At least 50 towers would be required for the first phase, and plans call for eventually increasing to 150 towers spread out over 54 square miles if demand supports the growth. Even with such large turbines and blades, and at mass quantities, the farm would not be visible 25 miles from shore. In addition, detailed environmental and coastal impact studies are needed: sea bed formation, bird flight patterns, fish movements, commercial shipping lanes, and military training zones.
Getting the project passed will be a formidable task, and building it could be just as difficult. It is estimated to be a seven year project and cost upwards of $900 million. Hurricane-resistant towers would need to be secured to the ocean floor, and underwater transmission cables costing upwards of $2 million per mile would need to come ashore over beaches, dunes, and wetlands.
Project founder, Donald Evans, feels wind is one of our best energy options, saying “Offshore wind is an inexhaustible, clean energy resource. It’s been there since the Earth was here.”
Eventually, the plan also calls for underwater turbines to capture power from the steady Gulf Stream just off the OBX coast.
2009 WRV OBX Pro presented by Hurley
Set to run September 18 – 20 at Comfort Inn South, Nags Head
This will also be a “Battle of the Banks” qualifier – Virginia Beach vs. the Outer Banks. “Battle of the Banks” is scheduled for sometime in mid-October.
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Bluewater trollers are finding good numbers of sailfish and white marlin, with a few blue marlin mixed in. Dolphin, wahoo and king mackerel are available. Tuna numbers should start to increase soon.
Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, red drum and bluefish will dominate inshore action.
It’s about time for speckled trout to turn on along marshes that are close to deeper water.
Standing on the porch of a vacation home overlooking the waves rolling in, it’s easy to let your mind wander. Staring in awe at the ocean, stuck in contemplation, inspiration seems to flow from such natural beauty. Jonathan Fields maintains a blog that provides strategies and conversations for life and business. After spending some time on the Outer Banks last week, he was able to find some inspiration from the surf.
Watching the surfers revealed a connection between surfing, business, and life in general.
1. Go Where the Waves Are
2. Survey the Sets
3. Wait for Your Wave
4. Don’t Wait Forever
5. As long as You Stay in the Water, They’ll Be Another Day
6. Size Matters.
7. Start With the Long, Slow Rollers and Use a Big Board.
8. Be Ready When the Big One Takes You By Surprise.
In the September issue of Coastal Living magazine the Outer Banks is named to “The Ten Best Road Trips” list. The Outer Banks was chosen as the second best road trip in America! This reinforces the recent selection by National Geographic that put the Outer Banks in the top list of “Drives of a lifetime.”
Outer Banks’ famous Rt.12 that stretches from the northernmost beach to the Ocracoke ferry is an amazing ride through pristine nature. The journey brings travelers through the natural beauty of the Outer Banks, including national parks and quaint seaside villages full of majestic vacation rental properties.
Here is what Coastal Living had to say about this road:
OUTERBANKS, NORTH CAROLINA
Why we love it: Map aficionados can’t help but be drawn to this arch of islands curving out from North Carolina’s coast like a spinnaker taking wind. Small towns dot the islands’ landscapes of dunes and long, sweeping beaches. (Nights in Rodanthe was filmed here.) Create a circuit by taking U.S. highways 17, 158, and 64. Back on the mainland, weave through marshlands and historic towns like Edenton.
Please pull over: The Rodanthe house is called “Serendipity” and is the northernmost oceanfront home on Hatteras Island.
