August 2019 Issue #32 August 2019 Issue #32 | Page 218

HALIFAX
2 – Sable Island National Park Reserve
Sable Island is a small island located 300 km southeast of Halifax. The remote island
spans about 1.5 km, and is only accessible by air and by sea.
Dating back more than four centuries, Sable Island has a long, fascinating, yet devas-
tating human history, earning it the title, “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”
More than 350 sea vessels have been wrecked in the waters surrounding the island
due to rough conditions at sea, fog, and hidden sandbars. And, as a testament to sur-
vival in an unlikely environment, Sable Island was home to Canada’s first life-saving
station, established in 1801.
Fortunately, times have changed and today accessing Sable Island is great deal safer.
And trust me, this wild and windswept island is a place that should be on every na-
ture enthusiasts’ bucket list. Roaming Sable Island freely, are hundreds of wild horses
and the world’s biggest breeding colony of grey seals. Plants, birds, and insects have
adapted to life on the island as well, some of which are found nowhere else on the
planet.
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