Massive Island Appears Out Of Nowhere And It’s Gorgeous

@chadonka

North Carolina beaches are some of the most beautiful in the United States. (Our health editor, a North Carolina-native, can vouch.) The issue? East coasters know that, which is why spots like Carolina Beach and the Outer Banks are packed each summer. It’s almost as if the universe knew about our struggle to find a new North Carolina beach that isn’t swarming with people because a sizable island just appeared off the coast. And guess what? It’s breathtaking.

HuffPost reports that the island, called “Shelly Island,” started out as a slim sandbar in the Outer Banks island group off Cape Point. Then, in April, the sandbar further emerged out of the water and grew into a mile-long stretch of beach.

Locals are floating over in rafts and small boats. HuffPost warns, however, that because of sharks and unpredictable currents, visitors are urged not to head there if they don’t know how to navigate the potentially dangerous waters.

A post shared by 🅲🅷🅰🅳 (@chadonka) on May 31, 2017 at 6:01pm PDT

So how did the island get so big? CNN reports that the phenomenon isn’t attributed to global warming. Rather, the island changes shape depending on the current and the season. That means the island could be “gone” tomorrow.

We’re tempted take a chance and float out there just out of curiosity. If you plan to see the island for yourself, stay safe!