, three-quarters of a mile off Mokapu Peninsula. Moku Manu and an adjacent small islet are connected by an underwater dike. The island was formed from debris flung from a vent of the nearby Kailua Volcano. Its highest point is 202 feet high, bordered by near-vertical cliffs on many sides. Moku Manu is protected as a state seabird sanctuary like its neighbors to the south,
. Regardless, landing by boat is nearly impossible due to the lack of a safe beach.
Moku Manu's isolated nature makes it an excellent nesting site. Eleven species of seabirds nest on Moku Manu, along with several migrating shorebirds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bird Island is approximately 1,300 acres (5.3 km
2) adjacent to the coastal resort town of
Sunset Beach,
North Carolina. Sunset Beach is on a barrier island and is the southernmost town in North Carolina. Bird Island can be reached by walking along the seashore toward the
South Carolina border. Due to the contour of the
Atlantic Coast at this point, the direction of travel to Bird Island is approximately West-Southwest. Previously, Bird Island was separated from Sunset Beach by a tidal creek (Mad Inlet) that could be easily crossed only at low tide. Accretion of ocean sand (due to hurricane activity in the 1990s as well as environmental activity to fill in dune grass) has gradually filled in the tidal creek so that two separate islands became one.
[edit] Preservation
Bird Island was privately owned prior to
2002. The shoreline, dunes, and marshland of Bird Island provide important habitat and nesting for species that are endangered, threatened, or of special concern, including the
Kemp's Ridley and
Loggerhead sea turtles. Although there was no vehicular access to this land, there was the threat that the land might someday be developed. The state of North Carolina used $4.2 million of public and private funding to purchase the land and create a coastal reserve, administered by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management.
[edit] "Kindred Spirit" mailbox
Slightly hidden among the dunes on Bird Island is a plain rural mailbox, containing an assortment of notebooks, pens, and pencils. The outside of the mailbox is marked "Kindred Spirit". Visitors use the notebooks to record inconsequential statements, special thoughts, and sometimes private prayers. Visitors have the opportunity to make public statements in complete anonymity.
[edit] Public nudity
On the seashore at the
Sunset Beach town limit there is a large sign stating that nudity might be encountered. The seclusion of the area, the fact that no
municipality has jurisdiction, and the warm
Atlantic Ocean breezes seem to make Bird Island popular at times with
naturists. Sunset Beach police, who have some authority, but don't enforce laws outside of the town's limits, periodically patrol the beach beyond the town limits using off-road vehicles. Town leaders have discussed the possibility of
annexing Bird Island in an effort to restrict nudity. However, the fact that the extreme southwestern tip of Bird Island extends into
South Carolina at the
Little River Inlet (with no visible
demarcation) adds to any jurisdictional confusion. Nude Sunbathing is illegal in North Carolina. Although nude sunbathing has been over-looked by many local residents and local authorities, some complaints are having authorities pressed into the position of enforcing state laws.
No comments:
Post a Comment