Ocean Safety for Kids
Monday

Ocean Safety for Kids is a free program that's educational and fun.

Every Monday at noon on the beach in Kill Devil Hills, lifeguards from various agencies on the Outer Banks offer information on such things as rip currents, changing wind patterns and riding the waves.

"We just want to get them comfortable in the water," says Charlie Ball, 25, who's employed by Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue and supervises the program. "They need to know what to do in an emergency.”

Kids also get a chance to take part in a simulated ocean rescue, using a swim buoy and a rope.

Five lifeguards participate in the program, which is in its second season.

Ocean Safety for Kids takes place at the Kill Devil Hills Beach Access at milepost 8, across from the Stop and Shop. For more information, call 480-0324 or visit the website oceansafetyforkids.com.

Award-winning films
Daily

Discovery channel junkies will find much to love at Jockey's Ridge State Park.

Emmy award-winning nature films are shown in the park's air-conditioned theater Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m.

Narrated by Martin Sheen, the 30-minute flicks cover a wide range of subjects, including rivers, weather, shells, oceans and natural disasters.

If you're curious about the giant sand dune in Nags Head, there's a by-request video called "The Wonders of Jockey's Ridge."

Jockey's Ridge State Park is at milepost 12 on the bypass. There's no admission charge. For more information, call 441-7132

Opry wraps up season
Tuesday

The Outer Banks Opry closes its season Tuesday, August 10, at Kitty Hawk Elementary School.

Fit for all ages, the acoustic show features a wide variety of musical styles -- rock, folk, country and bluegrass -- and is the largest gathering of top-flight area musicians.

Among the performers are the folk-rock duo Coyote, singer Katy Mitchell, singer/songwriter Noah Paley, singer/guitarist Bob Zentz, guitarist Martin Garrish and folk/bluegrass/country trio Molasses Creek.

Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children under 12. The show starts at 8 p.m. Kitty Hawk Elementary School is a mile east of the Wright Memorial Bridge on Highway 158. For more information, call 256-2081.

Take a look below the water
Daily

Snorkeling is a low-cost, low-effort activity, with the payoff being a fish's-eye view under the sea.

No special skills are needed. The standard equipment -- fins, snorkel and mask -- can be picked up for under $50 at most large department stores.

Face down in the water and breathing through the snorkel, your body is naturally buoyant.

The best place to view the underwater world is near a ship wreck, which attracts fish with the promise of food, either barnacles or other sea creatures.

On the Outer Banks, the number one spot is near milepost 7 at the Second Street Beach Access in Kill Devil Hills. About 150 yards off shore are the wrecks of the Carl Gerhard and Kyzickes, which are marked.

Buxton bird ranch
Tuesday through Saturday

Lee Carangi, 69, is known as "the birdman of Hatteras."

With his wife Linda, he owns and operates the Double L Bird Ranch in Buxton, which is home to 130 birds of all shapes, sizes and nationalities.

The ranch, which opened in 1993, is actually a 1,300-square-foot building, which houses a jungle and a waterfall.

Among the birds on display are "Boo Boo," a cockatoo that asks and answers questions, and a green-winged macaw named "Smokey" that rolls over and plays dead.

Most of the birds -- lovebirds, finches, cockatiels, conures and parakeets, among them -- were taken in by the Carangis after their owners decided they couldn't care for them.

"Every bird has its own little story," says Lee Carangi, who conducts shows three times daily Tuesday through Saturday.

And what most surprises visitors to the ranch?

"The intelligence of birds," says Carangi. "And their ability to communicate."

The Double L Bird Ranch is off N.C. 12, near milepost 61. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children. For more information, call 996-0412.