In March of 2020 the Ocean Pursuit, a 73-foot steel-hull commercial scallop trawler, beached along the Bodie Island Spit.  The spit is just north of Oregon Inlet and part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  North Carolina’s barrier islands are infamous for shipwrecks.  Dueling underwater currents create unpredictable shoaling just offshore, earning Hatteras the moniker of “Graveyard of The Atlantic.”

The Oregon Inlet has become an important economic connection between the Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.  Created in 1846 via hurricane, Oregon Inlet was named for a boat–the Oregon–that sheltered in the Pamlico Sound during the storm.  The Oregon was the first ship to sail this new waterway.  Today, Oregon Inlet is used by commercial fisherman to access the fertile waters of the Gulf Stream current.  Nearby marinas and seafood processing plants in Wanchese (anyone seen the popular television show Wicked Tuna:  Outer Banks?) have developed to service this industry.

Like everything impermanent on the barrier islands of North Carolina, the inlet has been drifting southwest.  Dredging has been the only solution to keep this waterway open and safe over time.  However, these stabilizing interventions for Oregon Inlet have interrupted the naturally dynamic processes of the barrier island system.  Some of these consequences can be seen in the ever-ready excavators and other construction equipment stationed on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The Ocean Pursuit shipwreck occurred in an easily accessible location for anyone with four-wheel drive.  As a result, the shipwreck was a popular destination.  I tend to shy away from other photographers as much as possible when I’m in the field.  I prefer, instead, to seek isolated and uncrowded natural attractions when possible.  Exploring with my visiting family, however, gave me the reason I needed to visit the shipwreck.  On a stormy morning, about an hour before first light, we all set off from off-road access ramp number four near the Oregon Inlet Campground.  To my surprise, we reached the shipwreck without company and had the scene to ourselves for the better part of the morning.  I found the darkened clouds and deep bluish hues of predawn to be a beautiful contrast to the warm rusty colors of the shipwreck, which at this point was sinking considerably into the soft, wet sands of the nearshore.

Update:  In November 2021, the National Park Service completed the removal of the Ocean Pursuit and the restoration of this section of beach along Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Like most things in this beautifully dynamic place, the wreck was temporary, nothing more than one more memory in a constantly changing physical landscape.

Camera:  Nikon D850
Lens:  Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8 @ 28mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  January 6, 2021
Settings:  f11, 25.0 seconds, iso-64