The Atlantic Ocean has become the home of an amazing phenomenon: an island located near Halifax close to the continental shelf is constantly moving to the east. Its unusual shape resembles a parasitic worm bent into an arc. However, Sable Island has a very bad reputation, because it easily devours ships that plot a course in these waters.
Features of the relief of Sable Island
As mentioned earlier, the island has an elongated shape. It is approximately 42 km long and does not exceed 1.5 in width. Such outlines are difficult to discern from a distant distance, because sand dunes prevail here, which are not able to protrude high above the horizon. Frequent winds constantly blow up the sand, which is why the maximum height of Sable does not exceed 35 meters. The mysterious island is difficult to see in the ocean also because the sands tend to acquire the color of the water surface. This visual effect is confusing to ships.
Another feature of the land area is its ability to move, while the speed is high for normal movement under the influence of changes in the tectonic field. Sable moves eastward at a speed of approximately 200 meters per year, which is another reason for shipwrecks. Scientists hypothesize that this mobility is due to the sandy base of the island. Light rock is continually washed out from one side and transported to the other side of Sable Island, resulting in a minor shift.
History of the missing ships
The wandering island became the site of a shipwreck of a huge number of ships, which, not noticing the land, ran aground and went to the bottom. The official death toll is 350, but there is an opinion that this figure has already exceeded half a thousand. It is not for nothing that the names "Ship Eater" and "Atlantic Cemetery" have taken root among the people.
The team that lives on the island is always ready to rescue the next vessel. Previously, horses that looked more like large ponies helped to pull ships. They came to Sable many years ago after another shipwreck. Today a helicopter comes to the rescue, however, and the shipwrecks have practically stopped.
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The sinking of the passenger steamer "State of Virginia", which happened in 1879, is considered the largest wreck. Onboard there were 129 passengers, not counting the crew. Almost everyone was saved, but the ship sank to the bottom. The girl, the youngest of the travelers, received another name in honor of the happy salvation - Nelly Sable Bagley Hord.
Interesting Facts
Tourists rarely travel to Sable Island, as there are practically no attractions here. In addition to the surrounding area, you can take photos with the lighthouses and the monument to sunken boats. It was installed from masts collected from the crash sites.
Such an unusual island has a rich history, and many interesting facts and fictions are associated with it:
- locals say that ghosts are found here, as the moving island became the place of death of a huge number of people;
- at the moment there are 5 people permanently living on the island, before the team was larger, and the population was up to 30 people;
- over the years of Sable's existence, only 2 people were born here;
- this amazing place is rightly called the "Treasure Island", because in its sands and coastal waters you can find ancient relics left after shipwrecks. Not surprisingly, each inhabitant has its own unique collection of various knick-knacks, often expensive.
The wandering Sable Island is an amazing natural phenomenon, but it became the culprit for the death of hundreds of ships and thousands of people, which is why it received a bad name. Until now, even with the appropriate equipment on ships to avoid shipwrecks, captains try to plot their route, bypassing the ill-fated place.
