Frying Pan Shoals

Formed by silt from the Cape Fear River, the shoals are over 28 miles long and resemble a frying pan in shape.

[2][3] The shoals are known for the high number of shipwrecks found in the region and are deemed part of the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Known since the beginning of European exploration, the shoals were marked on a map in 1738.

The southern edge of the shoals has been marked by nine lightships including the Frying Pan, a light tower, and a weather buoy.

The Bald Head Light and the Oak Island lighthouse have also provided warning to mariners.