Pelican at Silver Lake Sunset Ocracoke Island 2014 _002

Pelican at Silver Lake Sunset Ocracoke Island North Carolina October 2014.


Ocracoke Island

The island of Ocracoke is a part of the... more

by Greg Reed

Title

Pelican at Silver Lake Sunset Ocracoke Island 2014 _002

Artist

Greg Reed

Medium

Photograph - Photo

Description

Pelican at Silver Lake Sunset Ocracoke Island North Carolina October 2014.


Ocracoke Island

The island of Ocracoke is a part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. At various times throughout recorded history the barrier island now known as Ocracoke has been part of Hatteras Island. The "Old Hatteras Inlet" opened prior to 1657 south of the current inlet separating Ocracoke from Hatteras, but closed around 1764 causing the islands to be reconnected. Ocracoke remained connected to Hatteras until Wells Creek Inlet opened in the 1840s and later closed. The modern "Hatteras Inlet" that separates the two islands was formed on September 7, 1846 by a violent gale. This massive storm, known in Cuba as 1846 Havana hurricane and along the East Coast of the United States as the Great Gale of 1846, was the same storm that opened Oregon Inlet.[26]

It is one of the most remote islands in the Outer Banks, as it can only be reached by one of three public ferries (two of which are toll ferries), private boat, or private plane. Other than the village of Ocracoke and a few other areas (a ferry terminal, a pony pen, a small runway), the entire island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.[27][28]
View of Ocracoke Lighthouse across Silver Lake

The village of Ocracoke is located around a small sheltered harbor called Silver Lake, with a second smaller residential area built around a series of man-made canals called Oyster Creek. The village is located at the widest point of the island, protected from the Atlantic Ocean by sand dunes and a salt marsh. The average height of the island is less than five feet (1.5 m) above sea level, and many of the buildings on the island are built on pilings to lift them off the ground. Flooding is a risk during both hurricanes and large storms. Ocracoke Light is situated near Silver Lake and has remained in continuous operation since 1823.[29]
British Cemetery

The island is home to a British cemetery. During World War II, German submarines sank several British ships including HMT Bedfordshire, and the bodies of British sailors were washed ashore.[30] They were buried in a cemetery on the island. A lease for the 2,290-square-foot (213 m2) plot, where a British flag flies at all times, was given to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for as long as the land remained a cemetery, and the small site officially became a British cemetery. The United States Coast Guard station on Ocracoke Island takes care of the property.[31] A memorial ceremony is held each year in May.[32]

Ocracoke village is located at 35°6'46?N 75°58'33?W (35.112687, -75.975895).[33] The United States Census Bureau counts the entire island as a census-designated place (CDP), with a total area of 9.6 square miles (24.9 km2). 8.6 square miles (22.3 km2) of the area is land, and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2), or 10.58%, is water.[4]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocracoke,_North_Carolina

Uploaded

June 5th, 2015