Visiting Nova Scotia’s Sable Island

Just under 200 km off Nova Scotia’s eastern coastline is a 40-km-long sliver of sand that was known to generations of seafarers as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Protected today as a national park, Sable Island is inhabited by a herd of about 400 horses that have taken on almost mythical proportions.

The island is made up entirely of sand. The sand is part of a terminal moraine left behind by the receding ice cap at the end of the last ice age 11,000 years ago. Hardy marram grass stabilizes the central part of the island, and seals and birds are also native. The island’s most famous residents are horses; they were introduced in the late 1700s. Some say it was to feed shipwreck victims, while others claim they were aboard ships that came to grief. Today, Sable Island is home to one of the world’s few truly wild horse populations, without feral intruders or human interference. The island has a year-round population of fewer than 20 people—mostly scientists who study the weather and monitor the island’s environment.

Learn more about the island from Parks Canada and the website of the Friends of Sable Island Society.

Getting There

Only about 200 intrepid travelers visit Sable Island each year, most arriving by air charter or private vessel and staying for just the day. The season runs June-November, but June and July are often foggy.

If you’d like to visit, the least expensive option is to book a single seat on a Sable Aviation air charter. Seats cost approximately $2,000 per person, which includes all Parks Canada and landing fees. Check the website in early January for the exact dates that seats will be released for the upcoming summer. Cancellations are occasionally posted on their Facebook page, so it’s also worth checking there.

Kattuk Expeditions offers a guided day trip to the island for $3,350 per person using a helicopter, but again spots are extremely limited. With both these options, you will spend 6-8 hours on the island.

Related Travel Guide

Moon Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada: With New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador

by Andrew Hempstead

by Moon Travel Guides

Catch a glimpse of the world’s rarest whales, hike through lush forests, or wander around quaint historic towns: the very best of the northeast is yours with Moon Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada.

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Andrew Hempstead

About the Author

Wandering the streets of St. John's, hiking in Terra Nova National Park, and driving the Irish Loop—Andrew Hempstead has done all of this and more.

 

As a professional travel writer, Andrew spends as much time as possible out on the road. During his travels, he experiences the many and varied delights of Newfoundland and Labrador the same way his readers do.

 

Since the early 1990s, Andrew has authored and updated more than 60 guidebooks, and supplied content for regional and national clients like Expedia and KLM. His photography has appeared in a wide variety of media, ranging from international golf magazines to a Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum.

 

Andrew and his wife Dianne also own Summerthought Publishing, a Canadian regional publisher of nonfiction books. He is a member of The Diners Club® World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy. Andrew has also spoken on travel writing to a national audience and has contributed to a university-level travel writing textbook.

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