A new island has formed in NC’s Outer Banks – but getting there could be dangerous

Another island has appeared in the constantly changing Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The new island formed off the tip of Cape Point in the Outer Banks near a popular fishing spot and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

The sandbar is about a mile long and three football fields wide, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

The island is attracting anglers, photographers, seashell collectors and other visitors, the Pilot reported. They’ve started to call it “Shelly Island.”

But getting to the new island can be dangerous. A strong, wide rip current rushes between the point and the island, and officials are warning people not to walk or swim across the current.

Four people already have died in rip-current related incidents so far this month, but the strong current isn’t the only danger in getting to the island.

Discarded fishing hooks could be lying on the bottom, Bill Smith, president of the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association, told the Pilot, along with sharks and large stingrays.

The land in the Outer Banks constantly shifts as currents and storms form sandbars and erode them away. The new island, too, could be gone next year, or get even larger, making it an even better fishing spot.

This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 8:30 AM with the headline "A new island has formed in NC’s Outer Banks – but getting there could be dangerous."