Cape Chronicle
March 3, 2021 | Issue 69
Photos of the Week
Former Liberty ship SS Antonin Dvorak ran aground near Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station on March 28, 1959. The Antonin Dvorak, named for the Czech composer, was scrapped after it grounded on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  

More than 2,700 Liberty ships were constructed during World War II to serve as cargo ships and to replace British ships lost during the war. More than 2,400 survived the war, including the Antonin Dvorak. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that this class of ships would bring liberty to Europe which led to the term "Liberty" ship. The simple design and low construction cost meant they could be produced on a mass scale.

Park naturalist Verde Watson took these photos of the beached vessel. They should remind us never to underestimate the power of the Atlantic Ocean.
Seashore Updates
  • January 2021 was the busiest January ever at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore). January visitation records have been broken three years in a row.
  • Despite almost two months of pandemic-related restricted access to Dare and Hyde counties, the Seashore still hosted 2,645,477 visits in 2020, the highest number in 17 years and a 1.49% increase over 2019. Last year was so busy that the Seashore hosted almost 14,000 more visits than in 1999 when the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was moved. Read more in the March 1st news release.
  • A new web page was recently created to help the public keep track of the upcoming Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project. Once an interior paint removal project is completed, there may be a possibility of a short climbing season at the lighthouse later this summer.
  • The status of climbing operations at the Bodie Island Lighthouse will be announced in mid-April.
  • Cape Point and Frisco campgrounds will open for the 2021 camping season on Friday, April 2nd. They will remain open until Monday, November 29, 2021. Reservations and camp site payments can only be made at www.recreation.gov. Oregon Inlet and Ocracoke campgrounds are currently open.
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore's Cape Chronicle e-Newsletter provides brief, timely, and newsworthy content throughout the year. For more information about America's first national seashore, visit www.nps.gov/caha.

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.