10/27/14

A Rare Glimpse into History – Sunken WWII Ships Found off the Coast of Cape Hatteras

Providing new insight into a relatively little-known chapter in American history, a team of researchers led by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has just discovered two significant vessels from World War II’s Battle of the Atlantic, 30 miles off the Cape Hatteras coast.

The attacked WWII merchant ship Bluefields and the German U-boat that attacked it only to be assailed by aircraft and escorts protecting the merchant ships were both found resting less than 240 yards apart on the ocean floor. It’s a rare window into a historic battle story and the underwater landscape of the battles of World War II.

These most recent findings are part of an ongoing Battle of the Atlantic, underwater archaeological field expedition on the remains of vessels from the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. German, American British naval and merchant vessels lost in the Atlantic have been visited and studied by archaeologists, marine biologists and researchers. The UNC Coastal Studies Institute here on the Outer Banks, as well as NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, East Carolina University, Minerals Management Service, the National Park Service and the State of North Carolina have all collaborated on this mission that has been ongoing and making interesting discoveries since 2008.

To find out more about Maritime History be sure to check out the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum on your next trip to Hatteras Island.

For more information on this exciting discovery, view the complete article on NOAA’s website here: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2014/20141021_ww11_vessels.html


08/26/09

Scientists scour 'Graveyard of the Atlantic'

It’s called the graveyard of the Atlantic.

Sunken Navy ships and merchant vessels mingle with wildlife, remnants from what’s known as the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II.

“It’s pretty surprising to a lot of people that there were all these operations happening, literally within sight of shore,” said Joe Hoyt, the principal investigator of a month-long research project on the battle. Continue reading


08/14/09

Discovering Shipwrecks on the Outer Banks

While your family explores the beaches during your Hatteras Island vacation, you might stumble across unusual structures sticking out of the sand or peeking out of the Atlantic Ocean. Large, old slabs of wood or chunks of partially submerged metal aren’t just beach debris, but are ancient remnants of shipwrecks, sometimes up to centuries old, that have been buried or deserted on the beach for generations. Continue reading


04/2/09

Sea chanteys concert will be April 9 at Hatteras museum

The singer sometimes called “one of the strongest and finest tenor voices on the folk scene” is coming to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras village.

Geoff Kaufman has performed nationally and internationally and is widely known for music of the sea. On Thursday, April 9, at 7 p.m., he performs a free concert at the museum. Kaufman performs work songs traditional to the South, and port tunes from Irish sailors and black stevedores that were adaptations of each other’s music. Continue reading


03/2/09

The restoration of the Oregon Inlet Coast Guard Station

Photo by Shiralee Timmons
Photo by Shiralee Timmons

After 20 years of being abandoned, the Oregon Inlet Coast Guard Station is currently undergoing a much needed facelift. The state-owned historic building is being raised 10 feet into the air and being placed on pilings, allowing sand to blow freely underneath, and help protect the weather-beaten structure.

In addition, the concrete floor is being replaced with wood, and the roof and three-story tower will be renovated as well. The nine-month project, estimated to cost $700,000, is expected to be completed during the summer of 2009. Continue reading