as shelly island grows, hatteras inlet shrinks

Hatteras Inlet and Shelly Island part of shoreline changes.

Dynamic and ever-changing, as the Hatteras Island shoreline grows at The Point, navigating Hatteras Inlet become more hazardous. Writing for the Coastal Review Online, Cate Kozak does a great job of describing the forces at work and this piece includes fascinating Google Earth timelapse of changes to Hatteras Inlet and Cape Point from 1984-2016.

Chart showing navigational hazards at Hatteras Inlet.
Chart showing navigational hazards at Hatteras Inlet. This is an older chart. South end of Hatteras Island has retreated.

“Whatever mysterious forces crafted the new, crescent-shaped island at Cape Point is at the same time steadily gulping down the south end of Hatteras Island, spitting aside trees, power poles and a popular route for off-road vehicles.

Thanks to aerial photography and social media, so-called Shelly Island was a summertime sensation, attracting thousands of beach drivers to see the new phenomenon. But 15 miles west-southwest, sand travel has not attracted as much excitement, but it has become a much more serious concern.”

 

[box type=”bio”] As The Point grows, Hatteras Inlet shrinks. Read the rest of this story on The Coastal Review Online.[/box]