A NEW ISLAND APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST

Without warning, an island has emerged off North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore, inspiring curious travelers to go out into the waters and investigate what they are calling Shelley Island. The island was first spotted by locals around the beach and was later photographed from a drone by Chad Koczera, highlighting the range of the island which appeared seemingly overnight. Janice Regan and her grandson Caleb christened it Shelley Island since it was a fantastic place to hunt for shells, she tells The Virginian-Pilot. The title has caught on. But officials around Cape Point are advising that no one tries to swim to Shelley Island, as appealing as it might be. The current is dangerously powerful between the beach and the island. They also note that stingrays and sharks up to five feet long have been seen in the region. That has not stopped many from getting there by boat or finding a different way to safely cross the station. Cape Point is a constantly changing coastline, formed by currents and storms, Cape Hatteras National Seashore superintendent Dave Hallac states. Those very same forces are probably what shaped the island and are what could make it disappear or link to the coastline at some point later on. It might disappear as fast as it appeared.