Three years ago all of the east coast and far beyond were buzzing on “Shelly Island” which literally popped up out of nowhere just off the tip of the farthest, sandy reach of Cape Point on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Formed by two huge opposing forces of nature – the south flowing Labrador Current and the north flowing Gulf Stream Current – Shelly Island was truly a wonder to behold, especially from the air. One local denizen interviewed by CBS, Johnny Couch, a “9th genereation, life long Outer Banks resident and county commissioner”, described it as the ” mother of all sandbars” and summed it all up thusly as only an east Carolinian can exclaiming, “it’s a hoss, it’s huge it is big!”. And, of course, it is now completely and totally gone, erased in a second of geological time keeping just a few short years later after it’s coming out party. Here is a look back on fabled Shelly Island from a July of 2017 video courtesy of the CBS “This Morning” newscast. – Mez –
Gone but definitely not forgotten by all those who enjoyed her. The little nub that is now Cape Point sans Shelly where you can’t drive out til the Fall after Piping Plover nesting season is over, circa May, 2022. Photo: Mez @mezapixels
