For the tiny ghost crab, living on the beach in a wave-washed underground burrow, survival is a matter of adaptation, adjusting to meet the demands of the land and sea. In the protected waters west of the islands you can find excellent opportunities for crabbing and clamming. The ocean also harbors a bounty of life, which includes channel bass, pompano, sea trout, bluefish, and other sport fish. Wintering snow geese, Canada geese, ducks, and many other kinds of birds populate the islands. The best time for observing birdlife are during fall and spring migrations and in the winter.
Salt marshes are a source of food for birds and other animals year-round.
Here sound waters meet the marsh twice each day as tides come and go, exchanging and replenishing nutrients. At the ocean's edge, you are always on the threshold of a new experience. Touring the Islands Cape Hatteras stretches north to south across three islands - Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke. Some of the special natural and historical features that you can visit along the way are described briefly below. The villages are not part of the park.