Who doesn’t love a list of interesting facts? Some say the devil is in the details, but as much as I love the alliteration of that adage (all those punchy Ds!), details are the good stuff.
Here’s a few Fun Facts I’ve collected thus far:
- The walls of the lighthouse are 9-foot thick at the base, and 1 foot, 7 inches thick at the top.
- There are 207 steps to the top of the lighthouse (about 12 flights of stairs).
- There are ten (10) windows in the lighthouse, each of which help you catch a cool breeze on your ascent to and descent from the gallery at the top.
- The light beacons 25 miles (21.7 nautical miles).
- The two (2) rotating aero-beacons create a “flash” of light every 15 seconds.
- The original lighthouse completed in 1812 cost of $20,678.54, which included the lighthouse, oil vault, and keeper’s quarters. The ruins of the base are all that remain today.
- The distinctive pattern painted on lighthouses is called a daymark. The colors and patterns of a lighthouse daymark aids in navigation during daylight hours.
- The diamond pattern also indicates direction: the black diamonds point North and South, and the white diamonds East and West.
- Four (4) species of sea turtles can be found on South Core Banks; the most common type by far are loggerheads.
- Shackleford Banks, also part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, is home to approximately 120 wild horses.
- More than 200 species of birds may be found at various times throughout the year at the park. Some reside there, others are just passing through.
Summer at Cape Lookout 