Ocracoke Inlet

Ocracoke Inlet /ˈoʊkrʌkoʊk/ is an estuary located in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, United States that separates Ocracoke Island and Portsmouth Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. It is the southern terminus of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It is the northern terminus of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. The inlet is approximately one mile across, but changes daily.

History

Ocracoke was one of the first inlets in the Outer Banks. The inlet was host to the party of colonists who made it up to Roanoke Island in 1585. It became the most important inlet to deliver goods to the mainland, especially to New Bern and Bath. It is legend the Pirate Captain Blackbeard was killed in nearby Teach's Hole, on November 22, 1718. During the American Revolutionary War, many supplies that helped General George Washington came through this inlet. It became so important that residents started to inhabit the southern island, Portsmouth Island. At one time, Portsmouth Island was the most densely populated place on the whole Outer Banks. After the Great Havana Hurricane of 1846, when Hatteras Inlet and Oregon Inlet opened, Ocracoke Inlet lost its prominence. Extensive shoaling made the commercial boats travel to deeper inlets.