Outer Banks — Travelrags

Atlas ObscuraJun 30, 2026

Podcast: The Black Surfmen Behind One of the Greatest Water Rescues Ever

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast , we visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina and unearth some surprising history about a place known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic because of how many shipwrecks have occurred there. It was also home to early efforts at lifesaving and a precursor to the U.S. Coast Guard…

14 things in this story

Graveyard of the AtlanticSightTo a lesser degree, this nickname has also been applied to Sable Island off of Nova…
Pea IslandNeighborhoodwildlife refuge, untouched part of the Outer Banks
Captain Richard Etheridge BridgeSightbridge named after first keeper of Pea Island station
Outer Banks AquariumMuseumdisplayed photo of Richard Etheridge and his crew
Pea Island Lifesaving StationSightfirst and only all-Black station in Lifesaving Service history
Chicamacomico Lifesaving StationSightsite for beach rescue reenactments
Pea Island Cook HouseMuseumformer building moved to Manteo, now a museum
North Carolina AquariumMuseumhangs photo of Pea Island Lifesaving Crew; Richard Etheridge buried here
Island FarmMuseumhistoric farm on Roanoke Island
Apple PodcastsPlace
SpotifyPlace
The Atlas Obscura PodcastPlace
Atlantic OceanSight
Outer Banks Visitors BureauPlace

Read the full piece at Atlas Obscura →