Moon Palace OBX

06/18/2024

Turtle Alert

Today was a banner day for NEST—we had a third nest today (and the ninth nest for this season), and it was a Kemps Ridley nest — the first Kemps Ridley nest this year (and we didn’t get any Kemps R…

06/13/2024

Come out every Thursday, 2pm through Labor Day, to see history come to life. | Widely known for its rich history of saving souls in peril from the sea, the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station has, fo…

05/20/2024

Good Luck Team Outer Banks!

Good mornin’! Teams are all exhausted but handling final details before our regular 10 am start. Today’s leg 8 will be another tough one with likely lots of wind on the nose and will be crossing Cape Fear. Excited to get on the sand of our home state but will be grueling to get there with the teams operating on little sleep.

We will not be live feeding from here this am but will hopefully get it on video to share later. Tune into the start at the Worrell 1000 Race page.

Thanks for all your support. Visit The Outer BanksPirates Cove Realty OBX Bonzer Shack

05/13/2024

Be sure to slow down

It's that time of year again! Speed limits on NC12 in several areas of Dare and Currituck will go from 45 to 35 mph on Wednesday. Please be aware and SLOW DOWN. The seasonal speed limits improve safety as our area's population multiplies this time of year. https://bit.ly/44D7qPH

04/19/2024

Grand Reopening May 20

By Mary Ellen Riddle | Outer Banks Voice Initially conceived and heavily funded by the Hatteras Island people, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum opened its doors in 2002. Its mission was to shar…

04/04/2024

Oystercatchers are back!

03/27/2024

Cedar Shakes Art to be on display

The Chicamacomico Shakes Exhibit will open in our Courtroom Gallery on Friday, April 5 at 6pm.

The exhibit will feature over 100 cedar shakes from the 1911 Cookhouse at Chicamacomico that have been transformed into works of art by local artists.

We teamed up with our friends at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station on this special exhibit, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Lifesaving Service on the North Carolina Coast.

03/17/2024

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

03/08/2024

Happy International Women’s Day. Stop by Bodie Lighthouse on your way to Moon Palace.

On this International Women's Day, we honor Rebecca Pigott Hatsel, who was the only female keeper to serve in Bodie Island history.

One of the first non-clerical U.S. government jobs that were open to women were positions as lighthouse keepers. Typically, those appointed as keepers were the spouse of the assistant or head keeper; they assumed these professional duties to assist their spouse or took over when their husbands became ill and/or died. Numerous resilient widows, as well as women appointed independently, dutifully served their nation for extended periods during an era when employment opportunities for women were exceedingly scarce.

The first primary keeper of the Bodie Island Lighthouse, William F. Hatsel, was initially assisted by two men: Isaac Meekins as first assistant and William E. Etheridge as second assistant. Rebecca Hatsel, wife of the primary keeper, was hired as a third assistant in 1873.

Women’s History Month gives us the opportunity to not only celebrate the contributions, but also to recognize and learn about the disadvantages that women have faced. Reflect on how the National Park Service tells stories of women's history and heritage here: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/womens-history-month.htm

📸: SW facing image of the Bodie Island Light Station taken June 9, 1893, Bamber.

01/24/2024

If you see a turtle call-

01/18/2024

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station and the Lifesaving Service on the North Carolina Coast, Dare Arts and the Chicamacomico Historical Association have teamed up to host the second Chicamacomico Shakes Exhibit in April. Artists are invited to combine their tal...

12/24/2023

"The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave luster of mid-day to objects below." - The Night Before Christmas, 1823

❄️We may not have snow, but we do have sand! Cozy up with a cup of cocoa and a warm beach fire to watch this celestial show! 🔥

The Cold Moon reaches peak illumination on December 26th but will be very close to full until then.

📸 NPS | Moonset taken over Bodie Spit in October

12/24/2023

Happy Holidays from Moon Palace

10/21/2023

White Pelicans!

American white pelicans have returned to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, making the fall months an ideal time for birdwatchers and nature photographers to catch a glimpse of these rare visitors, as well as other migrating species that flock to the refuge in the off-season. White pelicans ar...

10/18/2023

Have you seen this pink flower?

What's a Halophyte?

A plant that only grows near salt marshes! Marsh Pink or Sea Pink (Sabatina stellaris) is an annual that likes sandy soil at the edges of salt marshes and ponds. Its range is all along the eastern seaboard and is endangered in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. You may have seen its bloom as they flower in summer and fall.

NPS 📸 | P. Clark

10/01/2023

09/20/2023

How does a sea turtle return to the same coastline where they were born?

Magnetite!

An adaptation of an animal presumed to have existed for 150 million years is the ability to navigate around the globe. The Earth is magnetic with a giant ball of iron in the center spinning so fast it creates a magnetic field. This field is strong enough to form the Aurora Borealis and leave a magnetic signature in rocks, one of them being magnetite.

Magnetite is the strongest naturally occurring magnet on Earth. Sea turtles possess concentrations of magnetite in their skulls that help them detect Earth’s magnetic fields. As the turtle develops in its shell and crawls to the water, the magnetic field of where they are born is imprinted into the magnetite in their skull. Scientists are still actively researching this phenomenon.



📸 NPS | E. Dlutkowski
Image: Green sea turtle hatchlings crawling toward the shoreline.

09/19/2023

Ahoy me hearties and shiver me timbers!
It's National Talk Like a Pirate Day!
May your anchor be tight, your cork be loose, your rum be spiced and your compass be true.

09/12/2023

Flamingos 🦩

Flamingos can be 5 feet tall and weigh 8 pounds, experts say.

09/02/2023

Sea Oats ❤️

Sea these amber waves of grain? Well, they're not quite grain, they're sea oats (Uniola paniculata)! These charismatic beach grasses' seed heads turn golden this time of year and you will see them waving in the breeze. These plants are not just for show though. Their tall leaves trap blowing sand and promote dune growth and their deep roots help stabilize the dunes and prevent erosion. Additionally, they provide fine habitat for small birds and insects.


NPS photo: G. Webb
Alt text: Sea oats with full seed heads in front of Cape Hatteras Light House

08/22/2023

Happening tomorrow

Come watch science in action! A public sea turtle nest excavation will be taking place tomorrow:

🐢 Tuesday, August 22, at 10:00am on Hatteras Island (park in the Buxton Lifeguard Beach lot). Nest location: 0.19 miles south of the Buxton Lifeguard stand. Please allow for extra time to walk to the nest, as we will start promptly at 10:00am. Bring water and sunscreen.

Watch Park biologists dig up a recently hatched nest and inventory what’s inside. They will count empty eggshells, collect unhatched eggs, and occasionally find live and/or dead hatchlings during these excavations. While the biologists perform their examination of the nest, a park ranger will present a program on sea turtles and share what the biologists have found.

For more information and to learn about additional upcoming public nest excavations, call the sea turtle nest excavation hotline at 252-475-9629.

https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/nature/seaturtles.htm

08/06/2023

Still time to adopt a 🐢 nest!

We'd like to thank everyone who has adopted a sea turtle nest on Cape Hatteras National Seashore this season! 🐢 Currently, biological science technicians are monitoring more than 320 active nests on the Seashore, and 221 of those nests have been adopted.

That means there’s still time for you to adopt your nest!

Our Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program closes for the 2023 season on August 31. With your support, we can reach our goal of having 80% of nests adopted this year!

Through our Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program, you can symbolically adopt an active sea turtle nest on the Seashore with a donation of $100 or more, and you will receive an official 2023 adoption certificate and updates on your specific nest including sea turtle species, number of eggs, number of hatchlings, and more.

To learn more about how you can adopt your sea turtle nest, visit our website ⬇
https://obxforever.org/adoptaseaturtlenest/

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions too!
⬇
https://obxforever.org/aastn-faq/

We are so grateful for your support!

📸 Cape Hatteras National Seashore

[Image description: A close up view of sea turtle eggs in a nest in the sand created by a Leatherback sea turtle.]

08/05/2023

Oysters 🦪

Are you Team Fried, Team Half-Shell, or Team No Thank You?!

Living in brackish and saltwater, oysters are one of the most important species in our estuaries, which is why they have their own day!

The term ecosystem services describe the various benefits plants and animals provide to their environment and to people. Oysters provide many ecosystem services, such as building coastlines and filtering pollutants out of our waterways. Some oysters can filter 50 gallons of water a day! Additionally, there are numerous oyster restoration projects happening in North Carolina because of how amazing these creatures are!

Alt Text- A hand holding two oyster shells pressed together to make a heart. The blue waters of the Pamlico sound are in the background.

Photo / Ranger S. Thornton

07/25/2023

This tiny post office is just south on Route 12 in front of the fire station.

07/24/2023

If you're recreating at night on the beach, please be aware that it is Sea Turtle nesting and hatching season. If you find a live sea turtle on the beach at night, doing these few things ⬇️ will greatly improve the chances that the sea turtle will successfully nest!

Learn more here: https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/nature/seaturtles.htm

07/05/2023

Market in the Tri Villages

Tri Villages Market kicks off every Wednesday from 9 AM to 1 PM inside the Camp Hatteras Conference Center and outside on the lawn! Rain or Shine artists and makers will be at Tri Villages Market f…

07/04/2023

Happy 4th of July. Love these dune flowers!

The dune plants of the Seashore are (figuratively) wearing their patriotic colors for Independence Day!

The red flower is a fire-wheel plant (Gallidaria puchella). This is a common wildflower in the interdunal environment.

The white flower is a beach morning-glory (Ipomoea imperati). It is listed as a threatened species by the state of North Carolina.

The blue flower is a dune blue curls (Trichostema nesophilum). This is considered a rare plant in North Carolina.

Dune plants are often rare because they specialize living in the harsh environments of dunes. If they took root elsewhere, less specialized plants would outcompete them. The roots of these plants also help stabilize the dunes.

If you’re at the beach this Independence Day (or any other day), be sure to tread lightly on the dunes so these beautiful pieces of our natural heritage can continue to thrive.

NPS Photo

06/29/2023

Reminder to please keep our beaches safe

The beautiful beaches along the Outer Banks provide amazing opportunities for rest, relaxation, and inspiration. Let's keep the beaches looking beautiful--and safe for visitors--by filling beach holes.

Learn more at http://go.nps.gov/beachholes

06/16/2023

Did you know - Moon Palace adopts a sea turtle nest on Hatteras Island?

06/16/2023

Celebrate International Surfing Day!

Let’s celebrate International Surfing Day by the Avon Pier as a community this Saturday! 🙌🌊🏄🏿‍♂️🏄🏽‍♀️🏄🏾🏄🏼‍♀️ A big thank you to for putting together rad community events that we can all be a part of. See you all Saturday! 🌞🌊