These groups built small cottages without heat and dug their own wells. Most buyers were nearby Virginian natives for whom Sandbridge Beach was a yearly summer family tradition. Lindsay began building Sandfiddler Road and placing cottages on top of the man-made sand dunes. In 1952 Harvey Lindsay and a group of friends from Norfolk bought the entire strip for $100,000. Before World War II, Sandbridge Beach was a local secret. The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1938, absorbing most of the clubs. In the late 1800s, Sandbridge Beach was the location of hunting clubs typical of the time. If you visit in winter you may even catch a glimpse of a migrating humpback whale. YouвЂ™ll also see Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins frolicking in the surf year-round. While youвЂ™re on the beach keep an eye out for rare Surf Scoters, Northern Gannets, Ospreys, and even Peregrine Falcons. This unique environment is the ideal home for some unusual birds. Although the official number varies, on average, the town sits at just 12 feet above sea level.

The dunes are the highest point of the island. Thus, you will spot many signs that read вЂњSTAY OFF THE DUNESвЂќ. Building and heavy foot traffic on the dunes can compromise their integrity. They serve as a natural sea wall to protect the island from extreme overwash brought on by storm surges. The sweeping sand dunes in front of the ocean are so much more than just the picture-perfect photo backdrop (although they are pretty great for this reason). This ecological sweet spot attracts the best of nature, from deep-sea animals to marsh-dwelling critters.Д«arrier islands are fiercely protected by the government and locals alike the transitional nature of these islands makes them much more susceptible to natural disasters, which can be exacerbated by excessive building development. Barrier islands are much longer than they are wide, and have the ocean on one side, and a lagoon or bay on the other side, between the island and mainland. The formation left behind is what is known as barrier islands ever-changing masses of sand that run alongside the coast. ItвЂ™s believed that the strand is about 18,000 years old - a relic of glacial movement.

The Outer Banks strand is one of the few places in the United States where geologists donвЂ™t fully understand the geological formation. That similarity (and also cultural similarities) have earned Sandbridge Beach the nickname вЂњThe Outer Banks of Virginia.вЂќ Sandbridge Beach is a must-see for those who love the remote, untamed, and relaxed atmosphere of North CarolinaвЂ™s Outer Banks. Because Sandbridge Beach is backed by Currituck Sound to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, its geography is similar to that of the North Carolina Outer Banks. The Outer Banks strand actually begins in Virginia with the 4.5-mile long Sandbridge Beach. The Outer Banks are stretches of peninsulas and barrier islands that run 200 miles along the coast of North Carolina and Virginia.

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