Sable Island

Here is a short article on a special place.  I have not been to Sable Island, since it is off limits to all but the most dedicated scientists and environmentalists.  It is, however, one of Earth's last pristine environments and is protected for its eco-system and its native ponies.

Sable Island

Sable Island is a tiny crescent-shaped piece of land 100 miles off the southeast coast of Canso, Nova Scotia, Canada.  It is 40 miles long and only one mile wide at its center.  Sable (‘sable’ means ‘sand’ in French) is not really an island in the truest sense; it is a large sand bar which changes shape constantly!  The south shore surf pounds the island intensely, often breaking off parts of the east or west spits.  Winds and tides eat at its shoreline, moving and rearranging its topography.  Bedrock beneath the island is more than 150’ below the surface, making the whole island shift at the whim of the elements.   

One hundred and twenty-five days of the year Sable is shrouded in dense fog, obscuring it from ships, planes, and casual boaters.  For 500 years this piece of land has been filled with superstition, myths, and intrigue because of over 350 shipwrecks, dating from 1583.  Sable Island is on one of the major shipping routes between Europe and North America, and in spite of today’s superior navigation aids there was still a recent wreck in 1999.  A private yacht from Massachusetts was blown off course and marooned on the sands of Sable Island.  Through several tries, it still could not be salvaged, and the winds and tides have now turned it into a few pieces of wood scattered amongst the dunes. 

The dunes are the eco-structure of the island.  Without the root system and tight below-ground matting created by these plants, Sable Island would have washed out to sea a long time ago.  For this reason, the dunes are protected, re-planted, and guarded most carefully.  Roads, structures, vehicle paths, and even footpaths are restricted to certain areas.  In olden days, before environmental understanding evolved, many of the dune areas were destroyed.  This led to quick erosion—through strong winds and high seas in winter—of habitable lands.   

Because of the remoteness and uniqueness of Sable Island, special environmentally pure means are used to maintain the work and living areas.  In recent years solar panels have been added to many buildings.  This eliminates the need for a large amount of heating fuel—a problem that takes on great proportions because it is brought ashore by ships and helicopters.  You may wonder why solar heat is being used (I know I did!) when there is so much fog on Sable.  Perhaps the experts have been thinking about that, too, for they are now in the process of building wind farms.  This seems to be the most cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly way of providing heat and electricity for all the island’s needs.  If there is anything that Sable Island has a lot of, it is wind! 

Sable is the home of 250 to 350 wild horses and they remain free in their natural environment, unhampered by human intervention.  It was originally believed that the horses came from shipwrecks and swam ashore.  But now we know that they were brought there—stolen, actually—from the people of Acadia (mainland Nova Scotia), several hundred years ago.  Many varieties of horse were introduced and the hardiest survived the harsh Island winters.  They have become a strong, short-stature horse that developed a thick, wooly coat for the cold weather.  They live in small bands of 2 to 15 horses with one stallion, his mares, and their young.  After two years young males usually leave the band and live for a while in ‘bachelor groups’, or occasionally as solitary individuals.  When they are strong enough they will fight a stallion for his mares.  Older stallions that have lost the battle will live out their lives as solitary horses or occasionally be befriended by another young horse.