My favorite bird is the brown pelican, photographed by my husband L. Michael Whited.
You may want to help care for the ponies by donating to Outer Banks Forever.
You may see black bear at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
Who can resist a pony? One of the Bankers ponies.
National Seashore when female sea turtles return to the beaches where they were hatched to deposit eggs into a nest dug into the sand, which will hatch to start the next generation of sea turtles. The nesting process can take between 1-3 hours to complete. A couple of months later, the nests seem to boil over as tiny turtles struggle out of their shells, out of their nest, and, out into the ocean. Don’t be put off by the name, but Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see local residents of the Outer Banks. It is roughly 28 miles from north to south and 15 miles from east to west. Alligator River Refuge was established to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat type—the pocosin—and its associated wildlife species. The diversity of habitat types include high and low pocosin, bogs, fresh and brackish water marshes, hardwood swamps, and Atlantic white cedar swamps. Considered among the last remaining strongholds for black bear in eastern North Carolina and on the mid- Atlantic Coast, the Refuge also provides valuable habitat for concentrations of ducks, geese, swans, wading birds, shorebirds, American woodcock, raptors, American alligators, white-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, quail, river otters, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and migrating
songbirds. It serves as the core area for re-establishing the red wolf back into the wild. GET YOUR EXERCISE Forget Hawaii and California because on the East Coast, the best place for surf is on the Outer Banks, and this region is renowned as one of the best surfing destinations from New York to Florida. Surfers from all over the country and the world flock to the Outer Banks for the annual Eastern Surfing Association tournament, or just after a storm swell, to paddle out to the Atlantic and enjoy some of the best waves on the coast. With more than 70 miles of Atlantic Ocean coast, you can stretch your legs, let your mind wander, and find your own place to enjoy the sand and waves. There are access ramps, boardwalks, and parking lots throughout the park that make it easy to find your special place to stroll. The mysterious Outer Banks is a 24/7, all-seasons vacation stop. Follow my Litten clan and make it a regular destination.
FOR MORE INFORMATION www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm
MYSTERIES OF THE OUTER BANKS
COAST TO COAST SPRING MAGAZINE 2022
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