Sea turtles have another banner nesting year but beware of the...

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By Peter Vankevich In the dark hours of May 4, a loggerhead sea turtle ventured out of her expansive ocean home and crawled onto the...

Ocracoke’s frogs love a summer evening rainstorm

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By Peter Vankevich Photos by Jeff Beane After spring and summer rains on Ocracoke, the nighttime frog symphony begins. This phenomenon was noted in the May...

Cold-stunned sea turtles rescued on Ocracoke

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By Peter Vankevich Jan. 27, 2020 The recent cold weather affected many sea turtles that are still in the waters surrounding the Outer Banks. The Island Free...

Loggerheads and other nesters do well with a little help from...

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This story has been updated By Peter Vankevich As the 2021 sea turtle nesting season winds down, it turns out to be a very good year...

Spotted on Ocracoke: The cannonball jellyfish

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To read more Ocracoke nature articles, click here By Peter Vankevich In the last few weeks someone walking along Ocracoke’s beaches, especially at Springer’s...

The weary diamondback terrapin’s latest foe: Phragmites

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throughout much of the Outer Banks, faces another foe: Phragmites

Rare queen butterfly visits the Ocracoke Observer

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By Peter Vankevich The Ocracoke Observer newsroom has received its share of interesting visitors. Located on a dirt road near the lighthouse, it overlooks one...

Be on the lookout for cold-stunned turtles this winter

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The ocean and sound waters surrounding the Outer Banks play host to wintering sea turtles, especially young green turtles and Kemp’s ridley. Sea turtles...

The five sea turtles of the Outer Banks

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This is a supplement to an earlier feature on the nesting success of sea turtles. By Peter Vankevich Worldwide, there are only seven species of...

Ocracoke’s seldom seen but much esteemed Atlantic ribbed mussels

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By Pat Garber Hidden among the roots and stems of Spartina Alterniflora (cordgrass) in Ocracoke's marshes live clusters of a little-known bivalve. Atlantic ribbed mussels (Gaukensia...