Travel Located in the Atlantic Ocean, 300 kilometres southeast of Halifax, the smile-shaped sandbar became Canada’s 43rd national park in 2013. The 34-square-kilometre island is known for its wild horses, plentiful grey seals, 350 bird species, sand dunes, extensive beaches and vegetation that ranges from yellow water lilies to red cranberries. So why have so few Canadians visited this natural paradise? Prior to Adventure Canada’s first cruise to Sable Island in 2014, getting to this Nova Scotia island wasn’t easy. Most visitors arrived on 70-minuteMaritime Air flights fromHalifax. (You must charter the entire plane for between one and seven passengers. Individual seat bookings and credit-card payments aren’t accepted.) Flights are often delayed for days or even weeks by fog, high winds or poor landing conditions on the eight-kilometre-long beach runway. Our Adventure Canada ship cruised southwest fromSt. John’s, Newfoundland for 33 hours until we reached Sable Island. Dining, entertainment, a well-stocked library and enrichment lectures by Parks Canada staff, marine researchers, ecologists, ornithologists and authors made the time pass quickly. Cruising allowed us to visit several areas of the island, much more than day-visitors see. (People who arrive by plane must depart before dusk, because Sable Island has no overnight tourist accommodations. Camping is not permitted.) We enjoyed three shore excursions and two tours on Zodiacs (sturdy, inflatable rubber boats) over three days. Sable Island Sable Island was on our bucket list for years. Zodiacs shuttle passengers between the ship and Sable Island Story and Photos by Barb and Ron Kroll 16 | www.snowbirds.org
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