"Shipwreck skeleton" found on Outer Banks beach remains a mystery

A mystery has resurfaced on North Carolina's Outer Banks, as waves continue to expose more of a shipwreck that defies easy identification. The hull — held together by nails and rusty strips of iron — appeared over the summer on Cape Lookout National Seashore, according to the National Park Service.

"It shows up every so often on South Core Banks about 6 miles up beach from the lighthouse," park officials wrote Dec. 7.

However, the identity of the "shipwreck skeleton" is vague, even to experts. That has given rise to an ongoing social media debate — more than 2,000 reactions and comments so far — as nautical history buffs offer theories on the ship's history and guesses as to what pieces have survived the decades.