I have always enjoyed the search for shells, like looking for a treasure in one life. And finding that special shell, and even have a shell call your name is a connect to life's free treasures, earth and a higher being.
Have you seen the news about the new formed island off Buxton right below Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
I did and I have been biting at the bit to go there. I had heard that waters had many sharks and NOT to swim over to the new island. I had heard the currents were so strong one could be pulled out to sea and there had been many rescues each day.
The island formed this spring starting as a sand bar and now an island. A young visitor from Virginia named it Shelly Island, so it is now called.
The Outer Banks are a fine line of islands shifting with the tides, forming and disappearing with hurricanes and Northeasters.
My love for the Coastal North Carolina and shelling, this new phenomena was calling my name.
The quest to go to THE NEW SHELLY ISLAND was now in motion
Where is this island, so new technology came into play, googled it and there is was. Researching news media that had been there and covered the island and then calling locals .
It is too funny, the POWERS to be said it is too dangerous, don't go, YOU COULD BE EATEN BY SHARKS AND DROWN. And make sure you are not going alone. BE SAFE
OK, but I wanted to go. So I called chartered boat captains, and they just laughed, "We do not want to do that, and if we did it would be $400 for half day. I called my friends in Nags Head, famous Mike Kelly, just laughed, just go and if you are worried about sharks and the currents, kayak over to Shelly Island.
Pressing on, I borrowed 2 kayaks and loaded them in the van. Found a friend committed to go. Now to find a placed to stay and even TRIP ADVISOR printed in LARGE RED CAPS HIGH SEASON. Every body and there brothers wanted to go to the Outer Banks.
Plan in motion, I have the mod of transportation, a cooler with lots of ice, water and adult beverages, towels, bug spray, sun screen, water shoes, hats, towels, folding chair. Friends gave me marine flairs, back packs, bags to carry shells, ropes to pull the kayaks thru the sand. My van was becoming so loaded with STUFF, that I was now relying on my side mirrors to drive.
The morning of departure, 5AM, at the last minute, I heard this voice in my head, it was Pat Elliot, a shelling buddy of mine, saying"check the tides" and I did. Low tide that day was 11AM and if we left at 6am we would have plenty of time. I was hurrying my friend, lets go, come on. And getting a late start (for Me), we were off.
It is a 3 1/2 hr drive and there conversation was muddled by the kayaks between the two front seats. If we had a wreck, no one could have believed how we were PACKED.
Finally, we arrived at the NPS Visitor Center. You will need a 4 wheel drive vehicle to drive on the beach. Heck, that vehicle was in Oriental Or you can walk, OK that was the option and the plan, walking.
Now, this is where you need to pay attention. Go past the visitor center, proceed to the ocean, a paved road until you reach the end of the pavement and that is Ramp 44. There you can walk and pull the kayaks to the end of Cape Point and then to the new island, SHELLY ISLAND.
OMG, when we got to Ramp 44, there were about 50 cars all lined up on the side of the roads, the was a constant procession of all types of 4 wheel drive vehicles driving on the gravel path to the ocean. Well, I tell you, that going alone and be safe, went right out the window.
And you know me, I will talk to anyone, I saw this man letting the air out of his tires, so I ran over to him and said, "Can you put our kayaks in the back of your truck and take us to Shelly Island?" "Do you know where it is? We have never been here before." "Sure, I Know where it is!!!' Gosh, just go to the ocean and turn right, it can not be that hard to miss it, Shelly Island is suppose to be a mile long.
Now, there was a mad dash to back my my van up to his truck, pull the kayaks out and out them in his truck, throw in a towel, a backpack and water and we were off.
When we rounded the point, there were trucks, jeeps, campers, tents, and NO WHERE TO PARK. Being alone, you are kidding me, finding a space was now the challenge, finally, we maneuvered between to groups from Pennsylvania. Oh well, it was the the only spot, and they turned out to be a wealth of information. The island appeared to be really close in places, the shallow area was right in front of us, so you do not need a kayak.
We threw the kayaks out, changed into some clothes, my bathing suit was in the van along with my water shoes. Oh, well, I was there.
I waded in thru in water less than knee deep to FINALLY get to Shelly Island, where there were hundreds of people, dogs and babies. OH YES hundreds and hundreds of shells. The island was more than a mile long and you could not see from side to side in places. The dunes were over 20 feet high in places. What a sight of nature building its own island.
OK, I had on the wrong clothes, but that tank top Croaker Fest, got alot of conversations with tourist and the PI hat too. Gosh, I wish I had my water shoes, there were so many shells, it was killing my feet to walk. I walked and walked searching for the best shells, no real finds, but quantity was the reason for the name of Shelly Island.
Ok, after all the hype and it could be going away soon, I can tell you it is well worth the drive with a 4 wheel drive vehicle to see Shelly Island, Mother Nature at her best.
Things to know,
Get a permit to drive on the beach, although I never saw a park service personnel
Pack a umbrella or tent, carry coolers with lots of ice, beverages and food, cause once you get there and early, you will not want to leave.
Sunscreen, bug spray
Shoes to walk on the shells, something to carry you finds of shells
OH check the tide chart, you CAN wade across at low tide and you do not want to be stranded there at high tide
ON YES A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR AND ADVENTURE
I had a ball
