Frying Pan Shoals form an underwater labyrinth of sandbars that stretches for 20 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and varies in depth from 3 to 15 feet, causing frequent shipwrecks. As one of North Carolina's three great capes, Cape Fear shares in waters collectively known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, and these treacherous conditions are part of the reason for its name.

Photo: Charles Keller

Bald Head Island, North Carolina · USA