Isle Haute, Nova Scotia, Canada

Isle Haute National Wildlife Area
Nova Scotia, Canada

NOTE: "Entry to Isle Haute National Wildlife Area is prohibited year-round, as are all activities listed under section 3(1) of the Wildlife Area Regulations, unless authorized by a permit.
These prohibitions are in place to protect migratory birds, their nests and eggs, as well as sensitive Indigenous archeological records." (Source: Government of Canada's National Wildlife Area website)

2009 aerial view of the south side of Isle Haute

Map showing the location of Isle Haute in the Bay of Fundy

Map of Isle Haute (high tide)

Quick facts about Isle Haute

Mi'kmaq name: Maskusetkik (place of wild potatoes)

First European reference: Samuel de Champlain (1604)

Isle Haute is part of Cumberland County

Permission from the Canadian Coast Guard is required to visit Isle Haute

Length of island (high tide): 2.5 km (1.5 miles)

Width of island (high tide): 0.5 km (0.3 miles)

Height of island: 105 metres (346 feet)

Area (high tide): 89.2 hectare (0.892 sq km, 0.344 sq mi)

Length of coastline (high tide): 6.623 km (4.115 miles)

Depth of lagoon: about 4 metres (13 feet)

Distance from Harbourville: 18 km (11.2 miles)

Distance from Advocate Harbour: 19 km (11.8 miles)

Closest point of land: Cape Chignecto Provincial Park (9.5 km, 6 miles)

Type of bedrock: Basalt with thin topsoil

Some small beds of native copper have been found in the basalt columns on the north side of the island

Lighthouse built: 1878 (burned down in 1956)

Life Magazine ran a story about the search for buried pirate treasure on Isle Haute (July 21, 1952)

In the early 1900's a short lived silver fox farm was established on the island

Frogs in the Frog Pond aren't native to the island; they were introduced by a lighthouse keeper's son

Deer mice are the only resident terrestrial mammal known to live on the island

GPS coordinates for Lighthouse field (Lat, Long): 45.251058, -65.005497

Lighthouse Keepers:

Capt. Nelson Card (1878 - 1889)
Judson Reid (1889 - 1904)
Percy Morris (1904 - 1941)
Donald Morris (1941 - 1946)
John Fullerton (1946 - 1956)

Documented Shipwrecks near Isle Haute (Marine Heritage Database):

Unknown Name, September 01, 1786 (unknown type)
Riverside, January 26, 1888 (wooden schooner)
Lima, October 20, 1890 (wooden schooner)
A. Elliott, November 13, 1890 (wooden schooner)
T. W. Mckay, March 23, 1898 (wooden schooner)
Gleaner, March 29, 1899 (wooden schooner)
Hattie Mckay, July 26, 1900 (wooden schooner)

2007 aerial view of Isle Haute

1951 aerial view of Isle Haute

Map from a 1960 breakfast cereal box drawn by Julian Fish
from "Pirates of the Atlantic" (2009) by Dan Conlin.

1780 Des Barres, Joseph F.W. (Joseph Frederick Wallet), 1722-1824 (artist)
Card from the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana at the Toronto Public Library (object #JRR2141) Public Domain

Aerial view of the north side of Isle Haute (looking south) (circa 1944)

1933 image of the Isle Haute Lighthouse (burned down in 1956)
(image source: Kings County Museum)

Download Dan Conlin's 1997 report on Isle Haute (5.7 MB .pdf)

Images of Isle Haute recorded by Paul Illsley (2009)

Evening view of Isle Haute from Harbourville

View of Isle Haute from the Eastern Bar at low tide

View of the Eastern Bar at low tide

View of the Lagoon from the Eastern Bar

View of the Ravine and Lagoon on a foggy morning

View of the Lagoon from the Eastern Bar

Cliff on the south end of the island near the Lagoon and Eastern Bar

Cliff on the south end of the island near the Lagoon

Camp site on the south side of the Lagoon

Lagoon with a watter filled pit in the foreground

Camp site on the south side of the Lagoon

Abandoned winch gear once used to pull boats up on the beach

View of the Lagoon from the trail up to the Lighthouse

Trail up to the Lighthouse

Long Grassy Field on route to the Lighthouse

Approaching the site of the former Lighthouse (now replaced by a light tower)

Stone foundation of the old lighthouse (burned in 1956) filled with old abandoned equipment

Vertical view of the old foundation from the light tower

View from the tower looking south toward Kings County

View from the tower looking east toward Cape Chignecto

Light tower with the helipad (used to maintain the light) in the foreground

Remnants of old infrastructure on route to the west end of the island

Steep cliff along the route to the west end of the island

West end of the island showing the Knife Edge and Steep Grassy Slope (north side)

Crossing the Knife Edge to reach the Steep Grassy Slope (not recommended)

View of the Steep Grassy Slope from atop the west cliff

Making our way down to the Steep Grassy Slope from the west cliff

Pausing at the top of the Steep Grassy Slope to look for seals and birds

Working our way down the Steep Grassy Slope

Walking through the deep grass at the bottom of the Steep Grassy Slope

View of the Steep Grassy Slope and south side of the island

Heading back up the Steep Grassy Slope toward the west cliff

Distant view of the west end of Isle Haute showing the Steep Grassy Slope and west cliff

View of the east end of the island showing the Steep Grassy Slope and Knife Edge (south side)

View of the Lagoon from the Lighthouse trail trailhead

View of the Lagoon and beach at high tide

Basalt cliff on the north shore (showing columnar jointing)

Vertical cliff on the south side of the island (looking east)

Vertical cliff on the south side of the island (looking west)

View of the Eastern Bar from the Lagoon burm at low tide

Cliff on the south end of the island near the Lagoon

View of Isle Haute from the Eastern Bar

Cliff on the south end of the island from the Eastern Bar

Fresh water spring located west of the Lagoon (mentioned by Samuel de Champlain in 1604)

Distant view of the south side of Isle Haute

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