Featured Stories
Ocracoke message in a bottle found in Portugal
Ocracoke School message in a bottle found its way two years later onto a beach in Portugal. Photo posted on Facebook by Elena Bretan
By...
Large numbers of sick and dead birds appearing on Outer Banks and sound islands
A Double-crested Cormorant displays signs of distress on Ocracoke Island. Photo by Connie Leinbach
By Peter Vankevich
Sightings of sick and dying birds on...
Nominations sought for Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2023 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.
The awards program, created by the office of the governor in 1979, recognizes...
Grant applications for Urgent Repair Program now open
From Hyde County
Hyde County has been awarded funding for the Urgent Repair Program 2022 from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency.
This program is geared...
General Island Information
What’s open or closed for the season on Ocracoke
The harbor view from Mermaid's Folly gift shop in Community Square. Photo: C. Leinbach
The list below of upcoming seasonal closings is as of Jan...
Ocracoke ponies available for ‘adoption’
Photo: P. Vankevich
From our news services
Legend has it the Ocracoke Banker ponies arrived in the Outer Banks with shipwrecked explorers in the...
The Ocracoke Observer website won first place in the 2020-2021 NCPA contest Online Division, plus four other awards. Winner of 10 awards in 2019, including first place for breaking news coverage of Hurricane Dorian.