During the Golden Age of Piracy, several pirates roamed the waters off the Outer Banks. Captain Kidd, Calico Jack, Black Bellamy and the famous Blackbeard all created an unforgettable reign of terror for the coastal colonies. The pirates were said to have a thirst for adventure that the violent storms and ever changing coastline never discouraged. The currents, shoals and treacherous waters were a natural setting for the seafaring men, whose goal was to loot, pillage and plunder. Some colonies welcomed the pirates and the black market goods they brought with them, but those who made their living on the high seas feared even their mention.

Blackbeard gained a notorious reputation that often led his victims to surrender without a fight. Pirates had their own identifying flag and when waging battle they would hoist the Jolly Roger. Blackbeard also dressed in all black and would tie colored ribbons in his long black beard. He lit slowly burning cannon fuses and then placed them under his beard. Blackbeard was tall, and had a muscular build, and with smoke billowing around his head, was terrifying enough to strike fear into the hearts of the bravest of men. His defeat and beheading was the end of an era, but his legend lives on. Locals say that on clear nights Blackbeard's body swims around Teach's Hole in Ocracoke in search of his lost head. The waters glimmer and shine in the moonlight, hence the name "Teach's Lights". It is said that whoever follows these lights to the end will find Blackbeard's buried treasure, but they will also find the devil himself sitting cross legged upon the chest, ready to claim himself as Blackbeard's sworn partner!

Ghosts are all sorts of things to different people. Outer Banks folklore tells tales of spooked farm animals, creaking floors, squeaking doors, seeing things move out of the corner of one's eye and general uneasiness. Some people believe they are energy sources, some believe they are heavenly comforts. There is the Gray Man of Hatteras, who roams the beach between Cape Point and the lighthouse, who beckons residents to find safe ground when storms approach. There are stories of ghost ships, eerie cries and moans from the sunken Carroll Deering, known as the phantom schooner, and ghostly piano tunes said to be heard on quiet Outer Banks nights. On Roanoke Island it is said you can still see the spirit of Virginia Dare in the form of a white doe roaming the forests around Mother Vineyard.

Are these stories simply good story telling, or is there more to it? Looking out over the vast Atlantic Ocean at night makes one wonder just what is fact and what is fiction.