Officials say Shelly Island is a large sandbar and they're unsure if it will grow or disappear soon.
"A large sandbar has formed off the tip of Cape Point and essentially created a new island. It could continue to grow or soon it could be completely gone. We don't know," said Mark Dowdle, deputy superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Locals and tourists are being told to stay away, however the Island has become something of an attraction
One tourist, who visited the area for Memorial Day in May, described to local journalist how much the island has grown.
"Yeah, isn't it crazy? It was just a little bump in April. However people are being told to stay away because of strong currents in the gap separating the sandbank from the mainland," the tourist said.
According to sources, the distance between the sandbank and the mainland is just 50 yards but the riptides are said to be incredibly strong, and there are sharks.
"We're worried about shark bites, but we're more worried about drownings," Bill Smith, president of the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association, said in a recent interview.
The future of the island is not clear.
The sandbank could continue to grow and form part of Cape Point, or it could vanish as quickly as it appeared.
