Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras /ˈhæt.ʌ.rʌs/ is a cape on the coast of North Carolina, and is protected as the namesake feature of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America.

It is also the nearest landmass to Bermuda, which is about 563 nautical miles (648 mi; 1,043 km) to the east-southeast.

Geography

Cape Hatteras is a bend in Hatteras Island, one of the long thin barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks. It is the site where the two great basins of the East Coast meet. The cape's shoals are known as Diamond Shoals. Somewhat analogous to Point Conception in Southern California, this on-the-edge placement at the confluence of the Labrador and Florida currents leads to unusually diverse biological assemblages. Many species' ranges have either a southern or northern terminus at the cape.

Climate