Small-Ship Expedition Cruise

Sable Island: Wild Horses and Outpost Legacy

Map

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Highlights

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© Dennis Minty

An island that never stands still

Far out in the North Atlantic, beyond the curve of mainland Nova Scotia, Sable Island is a narrow crescent of sand continually reshaped by wind, waves, and ocean currents. Dunes migrate, shorelines shift, and storms redraw its contours. Across this restless landscape lie centuries of stories of shipwrecks, lifesaving, scientific research, and the people who have lived and worked at the edge of the Atlantic. 

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© Dennis Minty

Horses, seals, and a sparrow found nowhere else

Sable’s free-roaming horses have become enduring symbols of the island, appearing along dune ridges and among windswept grasses. Yet they share this narrow world with an extraordinary concentration of life. Sable Island supports the world’s largest colony of grey seals, while the Ipswich sparrow, a distinctive subspecies of Savannah sparrow, breeds almost entirely on Sable Island. Together, these species reveal how life has adapted to an island continually reshaped by the Atlantic. 

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© Jacquie Matechuk

The privilege of stepping ashore

Few people have the opportunity to set foot on Sable Island. In collaboration with Parks Canada, travel ashore by Zodiac to explore Canada’s forty-third national park. Walk among shifting dunes, observe wildlife, and learn from those who know the island’s ecology and history. Here, expedition travel means accepting that weather and the island itself ultimately determine what is possible. 

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© Todd Mintz

An authentic taste of France

Just off Newfoundland’s southern coast, Saint-Pierre offers an unmistakably French experience in the North Atlantic. Stroll colourful streets where French is the language of daily life, linger over coffee at a café, and discover an island shaped by centuries of French and North Atlantic history. With its cuisine, architecture, and distinctive culture, Saint-Pierre offers an authentic taste of France just beyond Canada’s shores.