Striped mullets, or jumping mullets, North Carolina’s first commercial fishery, provided sustenance and income and were a big part of life for coastal residents.
Our Coast
Our Coast’s People: Chester Lynn
He has ancestors that were Blackbeard’s crewmen and pewter plates believed to have once belonged to the notorious pirate –Chester Lynn of Ocracoke has deep knowledge of island history and a passion for figs.
Our Coast’s History: Drawing The Va-NC Line
The border between North Carolina and Virginia was delineated by an expedition of Virginians led in 1728 by William Byrd II, whose dim view of Tar Heels was made clear in a “secret” history.
February’s Wind, Cold Draw Great Birds
Outer Banks birder Jeff Lewis encourages bird watchers to bundle up and see what birds the cold weather brings to the area during February.
Oysters Rockefeller Has Carolina Cousins
Oysters Rockefeller is a New Orleans dish dating back to the late 1890s, but myriad variations of Antoine’s chef Jules Alciatore’s masterpiece on the half shell are served in eastern North Carolina restaurants.
Our Coast’s History: A WWII Outer Banks Spy
Carol Dillon of Buxton remembers the time during World War II when a mysterious visitor with a German accent arrived at the local post office to mail a suspicious package.
Our Coast’s People: Mayor Rett Newton
Beaufort Mayor Everette “Rett” Newton, a doctoral student and program manager with the Duke Lab’s drone program, hope to use new technology to help make the town and local waters cleaner.
Our Coast’s People: Steve Murphey
Steve Murphey, new director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries, has devoted decades to fisheries biology work and hopes to help better educate the public on the division’s efforts in his new role.
Coastal Owls: Mysterious, Misunderstood
Outer Banks birder Jeff Lewis shares his enthusiasm for the owls of eastern North Carolina, creatures he says are fascinating but misunderstood.
Historic Wrightsville Beach Cottage Relocated
The 1924 Ewing-Bordeaux Cottage in Wrightsville Beach now has a new location and purpose as an added feature of the town’s history museum, with space for exhibits and events.
Our Coast’s People: Della Gaskill of Ocracoke
Eighty-year-old Ocracoke native Della Gaskill has seen great changes on the island, and the recently honored preservationist shares her memories of the way things used to be.
New Whale Skeleton Museum Taking Shape
A new building to house the Bonehenge Whale Center in Beaufort should be completed this year, says Keith Rittmaster, natural science curator at the N.C. Maritime Museum.
Birds of Ocracoke: The Snow Bunting
Peter Vankevich with the Ocracoke Observer fills readers in on the habits of snow buntings, migratory birds most likely to be seen on the upper Outer Banks from late October into March.
Birth of Two Inlets: Accounts of 1846 Storm
Firsthand accounts provide vivid detail of the deadly storm in September 1846 that created Oregon and Hatteras inlets and brought dramatic changes to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Our Coast’s Food: Holiday Cream Pies
Made with or without fruit, cream pies are a holiday staple for many families along North Carolina’s coast. Our Liz Biro shares stories from a Portsmouth Island native about Christmastime memories and an aunt’s famous cream pies.
Our Coast’s History: Shell Castle Island
Shell Castle Island in Ocracoke Inlet wasn’t much more than a cluster of oyster beds, but for a couple decades in early U.S. history, the wharves and warehouses that stood here were the center of maritime trade for northeastern North Carolina.
