Hatteras, North Carolina – Summer vacationers flock to the OBX for fishing and surfing and other beachy fun. But there is a backside to these islands, a patchwork of marsh land and maritime forest that is also a wildlife wonderland. The birding is phenomenal, and I have also seen turtles, deer, river otters and black bears!
While traveling here I read Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I am not a huge fan of murder mysteries, and I didn’t love the plot of this one. But the descriptions of the marsh land and maritime forest all of their wild beauty were rich and wonderful. This book gave me a deeper appreciation for these uncelebrated habitats and all of the resident flora and fauna.
Where to Experience the Marsh Land and Maritime Forest
Alligator River On the mainland, this national wildlife refuge protects an expansive area of rare pocosin wetlands, a wet and wild environment of peat bogs and shrubby vegetation, as well as swamp forest and marsh land. It’s home to a huge population of black bears, not to mention American alligators (of course), river otters, 250 species of birds, and the endangered red wolf. Wildlife watchers can catch a glimpse of some of these creatures on the self-guided 15-mile Murphy Peterson Wildlife Drive. The animals are most active at dawn and dusk. I drove around for an hour just after sunrise and I spotted three bears and loads of birds!
Pea Island Sometimes this wildlife refuge occupies the northern end of Hatteras Island, and sometimes it occupies its own separate island (depending on the shifting sands and indecisive inlets). But it’s always an important nesting and resting place for migratory birds. Stop by the visitor center to see what you can see through the viewing scopes and find out about recent sightings. Then take a walk along the 1.2-mile North Pond wildlife trail to get a closer look. The species vary with the season, but usually include waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and raptors. Highlights for me were the hundreds of northern pintails and the snow white pelicans.
Hatteras Island Ocean Center Despite the name, this indoor/outdoor nature center is all about life in the marsh. You can see it up close as you walk along the scenic boardwalk and trail that wind through the salt marsh and maritime forest. Look for birds like herons, egrets, kingfishers, ibis and osprey, as well as turtles, snakes and skinks. I spent quite a while keeping company with this great blue heron as he fished for his lunch.
