Diamond Shoals in the background, ominously dubbed The Graveyard Of The Atlantic
David Stick writes in his book, "Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast" the following: "You can stand on Cape Point at Hatteras on a stormy day and watch two oceans come together in an awesome display of savage fury; for there at the Point the northbound Gulf Stream and the cold currents coming down from the Arctic run head-on into each other, tossing their spumy spray a hundred feet or better into the air and dropping sand and shells and sea life at the point of impact. Thus is formed the dreaded Diamond Shoals, its fang-like shifting sand bars pushing seaward to snare the unwary mariner. Seafaring men call it the Graveyard of the Atlantic."
Note: these pictures where taken on a "calm" day, with zero wind
In 1794, Congress saw the danger to Atlantic shipping due to all of the ships foundering off of the coast in this area and approved the construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Hatteras is a magical place. If you've never been, why not?
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