Cape Hatteras Coast

Cape Hatteras marks a sharp bend in the sandy barrier islands of the Outer Banks. Offshore, the Gulf Stream turns away from the coast, while the shifting Diamond Shoals and frequent storms endanger ships rounding the cape. The name Hatrask was recorded for an inlet in 1585 during an English expedition associated with the Roanoke colony; it later came to be applied to the island and cape. A lighthouse was built here in 1803 to guide mariners past the dangerous coast.