Off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks are thousands of vessels who lost a struggle against the forces of war, piracy, and nature. The Graveyard of the Atlantic, with one of the highest densities of shipwrecks in the world, holds some of America’s most important maritime history. Graveyard of the Atlantic is a nickname of two locations known for numerous shipwrecks: the treacherous waters in the Atlantic Ocean from the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay at Cape Henry south along the coastline to the Outer Banks of Virginia and North Carolina.
Cape Hatteras has been a deadly trap for sailors that have entered for past centuries. This stretch of shore is home to more than 600 shipwrecks off the shifting sandbars of the Hatteras Islands. More than 2,000 shipwrecks lie off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. A dangerous mix of storms, shoals, and strong currents earn the area the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is appropriately named for shipwrecks play a major role in the area history.
Shipwreck on the Outer Banks Video
400-year-old shipwreck found in the Outer Banks that might even pre-date Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge.
