Graveyard of the Atlantic

The Graveyard of the Atlantic is a name for the treacherous waters and area of numerous shipwrecks off the Outer Banks of North Carolina which are due to the coast's shifting sands and inlets. Along the Outer Banks, navigational challenges posed by the Diamond Shoals area off Cape Hatteras, caused the loss of thousands of ships and an unknown number of human lives. More than 5,000 ships have sunk in these waters since record-keeping began in 1526. This area is inhabited by High Tiders, an English ethnic group that speaks Elizabethan English. The people of this area have developed unique folklore, with tales of pirates, sea monsters, and ghost ships being prevalent in their legends.

Legendary Pirates

 * Blackbeard
 * Black Caesar

Sea Creatures

 * Cape Fear Mermaids
 * Cape Hatteras Mermen
 * Cape Lookout Giant Eel
 * Currituck Carcass
 * Fanged Serpent of the Capes
 * Tresco Sea-bat
 * 1942 Creature

Ghost Ships

 * Carroll A. Deering
 * Flaming Ship of Ocracoke

Ghosts

 * Teach's Light
 * White Doe/The Ghost of Virginia Dare