Canada High Sea

Beyond Nova Scotia's Atlantic shore, the Scotian Shelf stretches beneath open water in a succession of banks and deeper basins. Among its most conspicuous features is Sable Island, a low crescent of sand surrounded by shoals that extend far into the sea. Fog and storms made the island a feared hazard for passing ships. Wrecks were recorded from 1583 onward, and in 1801 a lifesaving station was established to help those driven ashore.