r/interestingasfuck • u/Endolithic • Jun 06 '25

Homes are falling into the ocean in North Carolina's Outer Banks /r/all

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u/_perpetualparadox Jun 06 '25

Outer banks aka the graveyard of the Atlantic

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u/blueranger36 Jun 06 '25 edited Jun 07 '25

I have a map called the “graveyard of the outer banks” and it’s just locations of sunken ships

Edit: for everyone who asked, here is a cheap way to buy it: https://shop.americasnationalparks.org/products/ghost-fleet-of-the-outer-banks-map-poster

It’s call the ghost fleet of the outer banks.

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u/AgitatedSquirrell Jun 06 '25

We stayed in a house in Duck which had a map hanging on a wall with the location of all the shipwrecks.

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u/Decent-Dingo081721 Jun 07 '25

We used to have a beach house in Duck. I loved going there in my childhood. It hurts my heart to see these home going away.

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u/tarheel_204 Jun 07 '25

I know exactly the map you’re talking about- the Ghost Fleet of the Outer Banks

My grandparents have a framed picture of it too and it’s so cool to look at

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u/Starlord2230 Jun 07 '25

Stayed in Duck also. This post looks like it may be Corova no?

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u/abyssal_banana Jun 07 '25

This is probably Rodanthe

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u/NuclearSun1 Jun 06 '25

Wow, forgot I had that map when I was younger.

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u/Luvs2spooge89 Jun 07 '25

Is this due to the currents? Stuff just collects there?

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u/blueranger36 Jun 07 '25

Look at a map of the Atlantic coastal shelf. It’s the closest to the drop off so the currents are way heavier. OBX gets amazing waves and due to this they also have crazy shifting sand bars. One day you can walk straight out a hundred feet standing level the next day it’s gone. Awesome place to visit if you’ve never been

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u/[deleted] Jun 07 '25

Great waves 🌊 yep! Love surfing Hatteras

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u/Parenthisaurolophus Jun 07 '25

Kind of a collection of reasons. There are a bunch of shoals that get shifted around kind of like sand dunes out in the water which resulted in hundreds of wrecks (Diamond Shoals). Then you've got German U-Boats that went to town on ships on the east coast silhouetted against the lights of the cities and town and sunk a few hundred more (Torpedo Alley). You've also got some notable wrecks in the area like Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge, a civil war Ironclad, and a ship carrying Aaron Burr's daughter.

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u/Dingus_Khaaan Jun 07 '25

My Dad has that hung in his hallway. It was there outside my door my entire childhood and I always thought it was so cool lol

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u/BeachQt Jun 07 '25

I have one of those too! It’s hanging up in the laundry room. Granted I’m from coastal NC and still live here

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u/REUBENSACKLEBANKS Jun 07 '25

Wow childhood memory unlocked

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u/manicpossumdreamgirl Jun 07 '25

my parents have that map in the bathroom!

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u/doebedoe Jun 07 '25

Its on my kitchen wall. Been going there for 40 years...parents have been going there for 60.

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u/DougieBuddha Jun 07 '25

Could you pm me a pic of that or a link? Cause that's kinda awesome for someone in NC that goes to the outer banks semi regularly

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u/smittenwithshittin Jun 07 '25

Theobx one looks like it’s produced by National Geographic, there’s a couple formats. Other places have similar maps like Cape Cod and the Chesapeake Bay

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u/glen_ko_ko Jun 07 '25

I would love an interactive version of these where you could click a particular wreck and read an article about the ships history, look at pictures, or watch little docs

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u/mismanagementsuccess Jun 07 '25

Is it called "ghost fleet of the outer banks?" I framed that and had it for years.

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u/Rustyboyvermont Jun 07 '25

Becoming the graveyard of beach houses.

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u/CommonBubba Jun 07 '25

Got one hanging on my wall!

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u/DaBozz88 Jun 07 '25

Can you share it?

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u/AToastedRavioli Jun 07 '25

Didn’t Blackbeard wreck the Queen Anne’s Revenge there?

Edit: didn’t know he ran it aground on purpose. TIL

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u/blackstar5676 Jun 07 '25

Yes around Ocracoke

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u/FartNuggetSalad Jun 07 '25

Incorrect, it was sunk in Beaufort inlet

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u/stryker511 Jun 06 '25

I've always been curious about diving conditions due to the strong current. Lots of wrecks out there. I've wondered if divers get pulled away by the current.

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u/Bald_Nightmare Jun 07 '25

There are some very popular diving spots here on the NC coast, and the diving companies do a tremendous job judging when the best time is to explore certain wrecks based on the current weather conditions.

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u/toodleoo57 Jun 07 '25

How's the visibility? How far offshore? TIA for any info.

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u/trowt595 Jun 07 '25

Ive dove on this wreck before and it is definitely worth the trip if you can find a company to take you out. https://www.underwaterjournal.com/the-u-352-north-carolinas-german-u-boat-wreck/

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u/toodleoo57 Jun 07 '25

Oh wow. Thanks!

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u/gnowbot Jun 07 '25

Really! Are there lots of historic/interesting/treasure wrecks? Or is it just like 200 fiberglass yachts that ran aground after their boat-HELOC-captain had too many bloody Marys on America’s birthday?

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u/_perpetualparadox Jun 07 '25

Historic, yes. Warships from WWI & WWII and pirate ships. I don’t know of any treasure wrecks or ones that stand out as particularly interesting, not to say there isn’t any.

The outer banks is a great place to visit if you’re into history. There is the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” museum in Hatteras, Bodie island, the Wright Brothers monument & Roanoke island (the lost colony).

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u/doned_mest_up Jun 07 '25

AKA a really pretty sandbar.

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u/MacAttak18 Jun 07 '25

I had never heard of it referred to as that. I’ve only ever heard of sable island called graveyard of the Atlantic, so had to look it up. Turns out they are both referred to as graveyard of the Atlantic. TIL

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u/bbcwtfw Jun 07 '25

I thought Sable Island was the graveyard of the Atlantic. Is there more than one?

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u/mkiv808 Jun 07 '25

There’s also a shipwreck museum in Nantucket. That channel there has claimed about 800 ships.

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u/mike35745 Jun 07 '25

Namibia’s Skeleton Coast has entered the chat

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u/Disastrous_Hunter_61 Jun 07 '25

they have an amazing museum telling the history of the outer Banks and why people live there (not just for beach front property) originally it was too build light houses to prevent shipwrecks and also have people stationed there to save the lives of those who get caught in the sandbars intense currents

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u/TabulaRazo Jun 08 '25

Because of the ships, or all the retirees?