Ocracoke Island

The sky in November

2011-11-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

The sky in the late fall and winter on Ocracoke Island is always changing with warm and cold air sometimes colliding. It makes for wonderful sunrises and sunset. Possibly some of the most dramatic sky's of the year.

Sunrise over Ocracoke Harbor. Silver Lake.

Rainbow sunset from the Swan Quarter Ferry.
Ocracoke is a really quiet and beautiful place to be this time of year.

Happy Holidays to all our Ocracoke Island friends!

A nice November beach day.

2011-11-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Panoramas

2011-03-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more panoramas of the Island.
click to enlarge.

Photos by Ocracoke Photo www.OcracokePhoto.com

Ocracoke Sunsets...

2011-02-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

The weather has been great and the sunsets have been fantastic! It's time to start planning for spring! You know, if you've seen one... there is nothing that compares to an Ocracoke sunset! (click to view larger)

Snow, snow and more snow in Ocracoke!!

2011-01-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

Well, Ocracoke Island is a white out today. Heavy snow coming down. Ferry stopped running. everything covered in white. Winter comes to Ocracoke Island.

Dophins!

2011-01-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Dolphins at Ocracoke Beach...

More Dolphins...

I love going to the beach in the winter to watch the dolphins swimming, playing and feeding.
If you like this and would like to see more video please leave a comment!

Dolphins playing in the surf

2011-01-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

On a calm day in the winter when you go out to the beach you will see lots of dolphins. watch the end of this video for a dolphin popping out of the water!

Ocracoke Storm

2010-11-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

Last week Ocracoke had a crazy afternoon storm with clouds producing rain and hail and waterspouts. At the same time there was sun, wind, and wonderful rainbows. It had been a perfectly beautiful sunny day until this very large black cloud moved in. I think it had to do with the warm air from a hurricane that was way out in the Atlantic and a cold front meeting one another over the Island.

You can see the teeny tiny water tower in the background of this photo below this enormous cloud.

The rainbows made by the rain and sun were out for a long time. This one over the ocean.

The gray clouds left just enough room to see the glow from the sun setting over the sound.

Photos by Ocracoke Photo

Ocracoke Weddings

2010-09-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ocracoke Island is a wonderful place to get married! Beach weddings, sunset weddings, Lighthouse Weddings... Bring your friends and family and have a week long celebration on the Island!

Ocracoke Island... the best place on earth to get married!

Photographs by Ocracoke Photo: www.OcracokePhoto.com

4th of July parade, Ocracoke Island

2010-07-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from Ocracoke Island's 4th of July parade. This parade is open to anyone who wants to be in it, so if you are on the Island on the 4th next year join us!

Hands across the Sands

2010-06-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from the Hands across the Sands event today on Ocracoke Island. To find out more about Hands across the Sands: http://handsacrossthesand.org/

Ocracoke needs to protect it's coastal economy, oceans, marine wildlife, fishing industry, and natural beauty of the beaches that we love.

Perfect and beautiful, The Coquina clam

2010-06-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

I find something different every day when I walk the beach in Ocracoke. Earlier this week it was the tiny Coquina clams. There seemed to be so many of them, large colonies or clusters of them. Coquinas look like little gems in assorted sun painted colors; blues, yellows, pinks, orange, purple, white, and some of them striped. Nature makes even the tiniest things perfect and beautiful!

(You can enlarge these photos by clicking on them)

Painting Ocracoke

2010-05-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

When I opened my shop, Ocracoke Photo, this morning I found this couple painting pictures of my little building. Sweet! These are their paintings- thanks John and Dodi what a nice surprise!

Paintings by Dodi and John Groesser www.johnanddodigroesser.com

Dolphins!

2010-04-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have seen so many dolphins over this winter and early spring in Ocracoke. If you go out to the beach you can see them swimming and playing just off shore. These dolphins I photographed on a boat trip out to Portsmouth Island. These dolphins swam right beside our boat! If you'd like to go to Portsmouth Island or on a sightseeing boat tour around Ocracoke Island contact Austin Boat Tours: www.PortsmouthNC.com

A brand new Ocrapony

2010-03-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Ocracoke Island has a new Ocrapony! She was born on Monday morning. Her name is Paloma. She was named by the children at the Ocracoke School. Paloma means "dove" in Spanish. This beautiful little paint colored filly was born to Spirit, one of the Ocracoke heard. We are happy to welcome our new resident to the Ocracoke Pony pens!

The Ocracoke Lighthouse... brighter than ever!

2010-03-05T13:06:00.001-08:00

At dusk on the evening of Wednesday, March 3, the Ocracoke Lighthouse beacon will once again be visible from the village of Ocracoke. The lighthouse, originally constructed in 1823, received significant restoration work during the past four months and the light is ready to be turned on once again. The work included repairs to historic metalwork, new glass in the lens room, and lightning protection measures to the structure.

Ocracats at the Post Office

2010-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

A large population of Ocracats (Ocracoke wild cats) live at the post office. Here they were this morning waiting for someone to come and feed them. One kitty made it especially hard to mail letter!

2010-02-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

The sun came out today and it was warm. It's been an unusually cold winter on the Island so the weather felt great. I went out to the beach to look for shells and found some treasures. Top: Whelk center: a scotch bonnet the official shell of North Carolina and bottom: a sand dollar. The best time to go shelling on the beaches in Ocracoke is at low tide when the waves are calm. Today really felt like spring will be here soon! I'm ready for spring and more beautiful days at the beach.

Ocracoke in the snow

2010-02-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here is what Ocracoke looked like in the snow today. This doesn't happen often and as I write this the sun is out and most of this mornings snow has melted. Enjoy!

2010-02-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

This fall and winter the NPS has been making repairs to the Ocracoke lighthouse
The repair work includes Renovation of metal work on the interior and exterior; Correcting the lightning protection and Painting the interior of the lighthouse.

Ocracoke Island waves

2009-12-26T15:34:00.000-08:00

Today it was a beautiful sixty degrees and the waves at the beach were large and wonderful to watch. I was thinking that maybe you need a little bit of Ocracoke beach and the ocean right now... so I've posted this video to share with you, enjoy! Dec. 26 2009

Fall Giveaway!

2009-09-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

www.Ocracokeweb.com has a new fall giveaway! Enter to win this beautiful panorama photograph of Ocracoke Harbor by artist Ed Hamilton. wouldn't this look great on your walls? This giveaway is over. Thanks to everyone who entered!

A four minute vacation on Ocracoke Island

2009-09-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty slide show of Ocracoke Island. So if you need a 4 minute vacation have a look:
Ocracoke Island Slide Show
from a series on WRAL "Tarheel Treasures"

Lighthouse View

2009-09-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite rentals on Ocracoke Island. Like a fantastic view of the lighthouse? Located right on Ocracoke Harbor is Harbor View condo Ocracoke Harbor view website The best part of this comfy-chic condo on the Lake? The tiki bar! or maybe the sunsets. I can't decide. This a a great place to relax and unwind. Make your fall reservations today.

Fall on the Island

2009-09-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

September on the Island is wonderful. I love fall. It's gotten a bit cooler but it is still perfect weather to spend a day at the beach. The sky this time of year is sometimes just amazing. Here's a photo of the Ocracoke Island water tower from the other night. The summer crowds have gone, there are some terrific vacation deals, this is the perfect time to visit the Island. Need Ocracoke information to plan your trip? Visit www.Ocracokeweb.com

FREE Art Giveaway!

2009-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

A new giveaway! This month we are giving away a beautiful Ocracoke seashell suncatcher! Artist Alison Ellis makes these beautiful one-of-a-kind stained glass pieces. Visit Alison at Ocracoke Restoration at Spencer's Market this summer and she can make you a suncatcher from your own seashells.
To enter our giveaway visit www.Ocracokeweb.com
this giveaway is now over. There is a new one on our site.

South Point Sunset

2009-05-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ocracoke Island is one of the few places where you can see the sun rise and set over the water. It rises over the Atlantic Ocean and sets over the Pamlico Sound. My favorite place to view the sun setting on the Island is from South Point. On this day, I was the only one out on the point. I thought I'd share it with you now... Enjoy!

Things that are beautiful and poisionus

2009-05-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

I saw this Man O-War on Ocracoke's beach last night. I stopped to takes some photos of it. You won't often see these unusual creatures (they are not jellyfish they are pelagic colonial hydroids) on the beaches at Ocracoke... but if you do, do not touch them! They are beautiful and they are very poisonous.

2009-04-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Ocrafolk Festival June 5-7 2009

One of my favorite things about Ocracoke Island is the local music. The first weekend in June every year is the Ocrafolk Festival. It is a wonderful weekend of music outdoors under the live oak trees with storytelling and art. It begins this year on Friday night June 5th with a community pot luck dinner fallowed by an auction. Music will fill the air for the next two days and this wonderful event is free. For more information about this event or to become an Ocrafolk sponser see their website: Ocrafolk Festival
This beautiful painting of the Ocracoke Lighthouse by multi-talented artist Kitty Mitchell is this years Ocrafolk artwork and it will be available on posters and Tshirts at the festival.
See you there!
For more Ocracoke events see our Ocracoke Island calendar of events

Portsmouth Island

2009-03-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I took a trip to Portsmouth Island. This Island is a 20 minute boat trip from Ocracoke Island, NC. The weather was warm and their were no mosquitoes! It was a beautiful day. Portsmouth Island was once a thriving shipping port town with many residents. It is now a ghost town. The last residents left the Island in 1971. The Island is owned by the National Park service.
You can visit the village, the visitors center, post office / general store, the church, the school house, and the life saving station are all open to the public. The village still has many of the original houses.
It is a peaceful place and I can imagine how life was once nice on this barrier Island. The beach is long and wide and mostly empty. Portsmouth Island is a great place for shelling.
If you are interested in discovering Portsmouth Island call Rudy Austin 252-928-4361 or Donald Austin 252-928-5431 and they'll take you out to the Island. www.PortsmouthNC.com They are native Ocracokers and will also tell you lots of good stories. Austin boat tours leave twice a day from the community docks in Ocracoke, NC. Enjoy this peaceful place!

Ocracoke Island Weddings

2009-03-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

We had a few days of cold weather but it seems to be over. The sun is out and shining today which makes me start to think about spring weddings. Getting married on Ocracoke Island can be wonderful. Couples come from all over to get married on our beach, another favorite spot to be wed is at our 1823 lighthouse. Very romantic!
Ocracoke Island wedding resources

Free Art Giveaway!

2009-03-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

Ocracokes website, Ocracoke web is having its first art giveaway! You can enter to win this print of artist Sarah Cruse's "Feather Drifter" www.SarahCruse.etsy.com The print is from her beautiful painting of a sailing ship. This schooner would look great at your beach house or any other place you need a little bit of the Island and the Ocean. You'll find a link on the front page of the website to enter the giveaway, good luck! www.Ocracokeweb.com