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Sable Island (French: ''île de Sable'') is a small Canadian island situated 180 km southeast of Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean at . Geography Sable Island is a narrow crescent-shaped Sandbar no more than 2 km across at it widest point, despite being nearly 38 km long. It emerges from vast shoals and shallows on the Continental Shelf which, in tandem with the area's frequent fog and sudden strong storms including Hurricanes and Nor'easter s, have caused over 300 recorded Shipwreck s. It is often referred to as "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" as it sits astride the Great Circle Route between the Eastern Seaboard of North America and Europe . Sable Island was named for its Sand — There are frequent heavy fogs in the area due to the contrasting effects of the cold Labrador Current and the warm Gulf Stream . During winter months, the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream can sometimes give Sable Island the warmest temperatures in Canada. Sable Island should not be confused with Cape Sable Island in southwestern Nova Scotia. Wildlife The island is home to over 250 wild Horse s which are protected by law from human interference. One theory regarding the origin of the wild horse population is that they are descended from horses confiscated from Acadian s during the Great Expulsion and left on the island by Boston merchant Thomas Hancock , uncle of John Hancock . In the past, excess wild horses have been rounded up and shipped off the island for use in coal mines on Cape Breton Island , or to be sold or euthanized. Although the wild horse colonies have not been disturbed in recent decades, there have been several cases where the federal government has air-dropped hay during the winter months. This has now stopped in an attempt to allow the horse population to stabilize naturally, although there is frequent debate among biologists and ecologists who advocate removal of the horses in favour of returning the island to its natural state. Several large bird colonies are also resident; Arctic Tern s, and Ipswich Sparrow s (''Passerculus sandwichensis princeps''), a subspecies of the Savannah Sparrow that breed in no other location. Harbour and Grey Seal s also breed on the island's shores. There is also a species of freshwater Sponge (''Heteromeyenia macouni'') found only in ponds on the island. History The Portuguese explorer João Álvares Fagundes and his expedition, who explored this region in 1520–1521, may have been among the first humans to have encountered the island. A Lighthouse was established on Sable Island by the British government in the 1790s and its life-saving crew became the first inhabitants of the island, a brief attempt at colonization at the end of the 16th century by France having failed. Until the advent of modern ship navigation, Sable Island's two light stations (one each at the western tip and eastern tip) were home to permanent lighthouse keepers and their families, as well as the crewmembers of the life-saving station. In the early 20th Century , the Marconi Company established a wireless station on the island and the Canadian government similarly established a weather station. Although the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has now automated the light stations, Environment Canada and DFO conduct routine meteorological and atmospheric studies from a permanently occupied station on Sable Island because of its unique isolated geographic position down-wind from the North American mainland. Sable Island is specifically mentioned in the Constitution Of Canada as being the special responsibility of the Federal Government . For this reason it is considered a separate Amateur Radio "entity" (equivalent to country for award credit) and the occasional operators who visit use the special Callsign prefix CY0. Out of concern for preserving the island's frail ecology, as well as sovereignty purposes, recreational boaters require specific permission from CCG to set foot on the island. The Canadian Forces continuously patrol the area using aircraft and naval vessels, partly due to the nearby presence of Natural Gas and Oil drilling Rigs and an undersea Pipeline . Sable Island's heliport also contains emergency aviation fuel for Search And Rescue helicopters, which use the island to stage further offshore into the Atlantic. Should the need arise, the island also serves as an emergency evacuation point for crews aboard nearby drilling rigs of the Sable Offshore Energy Project . The island is considered administratively a part of the Halifax Regional Municipality and the federal electoral district of Halifax , although the urban area of Halifax proper is some 300 km away on the Nova Scotian mainland. Currently about 15 people reside on the island. Trivia
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