Outer Banks Free Diving

On January 20, I mentioned the book Deep by James Nestor...and the sport of freediving (underwater diving without the aid of any artificial breathing apparatus). 

I knew virtually nothing about freediving before reading the book, but became convinced that there must be some video documentation of the sport on the Outer Banks. I soon discovered Hidden Outer Banks, an online magazine published by Dawn Church, who lived on Ocracoke for a while, and helped create the Ocracoke Observer.

Butterfly Ray Photo by H. Weerman

Dawn has shared Russel Blackwood's 2 1/2 minute video of his freediving the shoreline of Cape Hatteras. It shows spectacular footage of a butterfly ray: http://www.hiddenouterbanks.com/flight-of-the-butterfly-rays-russell-blackwood/. Take a few minutes to enjoy this up-close underwater encounter with a beautiful swimmer!

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is about the almost forgotten 1890 "Oyster Wars" that pitted islanders against outside business interests. You can read the article here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012115.htm.