Monthly Archives: March 2010

Extreme Angler Makes Big Catch on the Outer Banks

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Recently a 166 pound Bluefin Tuna was caught by Matt Shepard, a Virginia Beach native, while visiting the Outer Banks.  That sure is a big catch, but not extreme for the Outer Banks.  However, the interesting aspect of this catch is the fact that Shepard reeled this monster in on his kayak!

Bluefin tuna are basically football-shaped bodies of muscle. Often topping 100 pounds and capable of incredible speed and quick bursts.  They are a difficult fight even on huge tackle from the fighting chair of a large boat.

Shepard has fished from his kayak for a number of different prizes from cobia to amberjack.  It is safe to say that the seasoned angler met a formidable opponent during his struggle with this bluefin.  90 minutes after hooking this tuna, Shepard finally pulled in the catch.

“We here hollering like crazy most of the time, but when we saw how big it was, we went crazy,” Shepard said. “It was as big as me and almost as long as the kayak.”

Back at Teach’s Lair, the fish tipped the scale at 166 pounds.  Here is a shot of the moster tuna:

Outer Banks Tuna Caught in Kayak!

Outer Banks Tuna Caught in Kayak!

“Serendipity” Moved & Under Renovation – An Outer Banks Icon Lives On!

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Serendipity Moved & Under Renovation
Serendipity Moved & Under Renovation
Mirlo Beach Sign - No "Serendipity"

Mirlo Beach Sign - No "Serendipity"

Serendipity Moved & Under Renovation

Serendipity Moved & Under Renovation

The Rodanthe Home “Serendipity,” which was made famous in the movie Nights Of Rodanthe, is undergoing some renovations.

The Home was saved from being demolished by Ben and Debbie Huss of Newton, NC, who moved the home just in time.  The couple has been spending time on the Outer Banks recently trying to decorate the house as closely as possible to how it appeared in the film.  The couple has limited time due to the fact that the first rental of the season is due to check-in May 5th.  Mr. & Mrs. Huss negotiated to buy the house in January.  “We just had to save it,” Ben Huss explains.  “We weren’t going to let it fall into the ocean. It’s not an antique house or a historical house, but it’s an iconic house, and we just couldn’t let it die,” Ben mentioned in a recent interview with the Island Free Press.  According to Huss, preserving Serendipity is a financial gamble for him and his wife, “but I’m an old, hard-headed, crazy risk-taker,” he says with a laugh and a smile.  “We want to bring Serendipity back to its movie-style glory so people can enjoy it.”

The home was originally constructed in 1988.  In those days, “Serendipity” would have been the first home that you would see after crossing the Oregon Inlet Bridge, but now that spot across from the Mirlo Beach sign is left empty.  “Serendipity” did not have much dune protecting the foundation, so it was only a matter of time until the home caused problems for the owners.

Work has been ongoing to the building’s exterior to recreate the look of the enchanting “Inn at Rodanthe,” as it was fashioned by moviemakers.

Why is the Outer Banks Considered the “Graveyard of the Atlantic?”

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Graveyard of the Atlantic

Graveyard of the Atlantic

According to legend, America’s first Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, dubbed the water off the coast of the Outer Banks “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

The name is now glorified and its heritage celebrated, but the name used to strike fear in the hearts of mariners that navigated the treacherous waters.  According to a 1773 publication, Hamilton “passed Cape Hatteras on a summer night in 1773 and thereafter remembering the night’s terror, he spoke of that portion of the sea as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

Hamilton and George Washington encouraged the construction of Outer Banks lighthouses as a means of guiding mariners around the treacherous seas off the OBX coast.  The idea to construct lighthouses first came to Hamilton when was traveling on a boat that caught fire while sailing from the West Indies to Boston.

Kevin Duffus an Outer Banks historian and author defends the OBX waters by saying that “Nowhere in Alexander Hamilton’s personal writings did he ever say that he was in danger of being shipwrecked off the Outer Banks.” It is also a fact that the Outer Banks is not the only place that bears this nickname; the coast of New Jersey or Cape Cod for example.  However, the Outer Banks can be most closely aligned with the name due to the fact that over 1,000 ships have been wrecked in the area over the last 400 years.

Information (and Questions) Continues to Build About the Potential Outer Banks Wind Farm

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Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine

The Outer Banks continues to garner national attention due to the possibility of a wind farm being constructed along the coast. 

The current proposal is for a feasibility test of three wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound along Hatteras.  The three towers would stand taller than the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse standing 260 feet tall.  The blades for the towers would be 150 feet long. 

Many questions have risen as a result of this proposed project.  Will there be an electromagnetic interference? Will the towers result in the death of native birds?  Will the farm look unattractive and possibly drive  people away from the Outer Banks? 

As  mentioned in the previous post on the subject, the US Army Corps of Engineers and Duke Energy launched an environmental study.  Since the towers would be the first offshore wind turbine in the country, the topic has raised some debate.  A meeting has already been held that allowed local residents to openly voice their concerns on the subject.

Outer Banks Fishing Report – 3.26.10

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Spring is in full swing on the Outer Banks; the landscape is decorated in brilliant spring colors from the fresh flowers and trees, businesses closed for winter are opening their doors, and the air is warming up (a great time for an Outer Banks fishing trip!).  While the air is getting warm, the fishing continues it’s hot streak.

  • There continues to be outstanding fishing in the warm waters off of the Outer Banks, with a mix of bluefin and yellowfin tuna being caught.
    • A catch report from Hatteras Harbor Marina has a bluefin weighing 430 pounds!
    • Boats running out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center also landed a few trophy-class tuna during the past week, including a 333-pound bluefin!
  • Shore/surf fishing:
    • Hatteras Island reports some cattered puppy drum in the surf near Hatteras Village.
    • Ocracoke Island reports increasing numbers of puppy drum in the surf

Here’s an example from The Outer Banks Fishing Report of their bluefin catch from yesterday:

The Outer Banks Fishing Report - Bulefin Catch

The Outer Banks Fishing Report - Bulefin Catch

Here’s an example of one of the largest trout we’ve set our eyes on…also from yesterday:

Huge Outer Banks Trout

Huge Outer Banks Trout

Larger Herd for Outer Banks Wild Horses? – New Legislation Proposed

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Outer Banks Wild Horses - Mare & Two Foals

Outer Banks Wild Horses - Mare & Two Foals

The size of the herd for the Outer Banks wild horses is regulated by state legislation, and the size has been a hotly discussed topic over the years.  The current legislation places the limit of horses in the herd at 60, but many believe this limit is too low to preserve the horses health and longevity.  

Many horse supporters are celebrating a bill that has been introduced by US Rep Walter Jones.  The legislation, introduced last Wednesday, would require Federal and State government to form a new herd of horses that should not contain less than 100 horses in the Corolla area. 

According the Karen McCalpin, director of the Corolla Wild Horse fund, the herd is too small.  A genetic study that was conducted by Texas A&M University determined that the herd needs more horses to avoid genetic defects and protect the herd’s health and safety in the future.  McCalpin said. “On Ocracoke Island (the herd) is down to less than 20. This (bill) is going to enable us to manage the herd at a genetically healthy number. Without genetic health you don’t have physical health.” 

The bill still has quite a long way to becoming law, but Walter Jones getting his foot in the door with the bill is a big step toward the health and well-being of the wild horse population on the Outer Banks.

New Outer Banks Shipwreck – May be the Oldest on the NC Coast!

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Outer Banks Shipwreck 2010

Outer Banks Shipwreck 2010

The oldest shipwreck on the Carolina coast may have been discovered recently on the Outer Banks. 

A curator who is a part of the North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch recently visited the OBX shipwreck to determine some more detailed information about the “ghost ship.”  The wreck is named “The Nathan Henry,” and it is over 400 years old. The ship is about 65 feet long, and is presumed to be a military of merchant ship.  

It appears that after the storms that struck during the fall and early winter, the wreck has moved a distance of over two miles.  The Archaeology Branch is a little uncertain about the future of this ship, but they are trying to collect as much information as possible.  At the end of 2009, the ship became totally exposed.  During the Expedition, some interesting artifacts surfaced; musket balls and coins that were dated back to 1601.  The imprint on the coin was a little hard to distinguish, but the image resembled King Louis  XIII. 

Update:  Eye on Dare recently reported that a second “ghost ship” has surfaced along the Northern Outer Banks.   Unlike the 300-400 year old wood-pegged shipwreck which storms uncovered in December, the newest shipwreck may bear familiar name. State archaeologists say the wreckage could be part of the remains of the steamer, Metropolis, which sank about 300 yards off Corolla beach on January 31, 1878, with the loss of 102 lives.

Outer Banks Fishing Industry Gets a Boost

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A campaign to promote the local Outer Banks fishing industry is picking up steam.  The movement, dubbed “Outer Banks Catch”, recently received a $150,000 grant.  The purpose is to educate the public about the health and economic benefits of supporting the local OBX fishermen, and encourage local OBX restaurants to serve local seafood. 

Commissioner Mike Johnson mentioned that promoting local seafood is in everyone’s best interest and contends that the safety of imported seafood was unreliable. He cited a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate that only 1 percent of imported seafood is inspected at port.

Photography Exhibit on the Outer Banks

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Brown Pelican by Jeff Lewis

Brown Pelican by Jeff Lewis

Jeff Lewis, a local Outer Banks nature photographer, will have an exhibit on display at the Elizabethan gardens on Roanoke Island. 

Jeff’s work has been displayed in many of the area’s newspapers; some of these publications include: The North Carolina Birding Trail Publications, Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine, Fifteen 501 Magazine, and Garden and Gun Magazine.  In addition, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has used Jeff’s photos and photos can be found on display and Visitor Centers around the Northern Outer Banks. 

For the past 15 years, Lewis has worked at The Elizabethan Gardens, and now serves as the gardens manager.  Lewis’s work will be on display through the end of March.  For more information, please visit:  http://www.elizabethangardens.org/ or call 252-473-3234.