Duck Islands (Grand Manan)

The Duck Islands are in the Grand Manan Parish of Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada in the Bay of Fundy.^[1][2][3]

There are three Duck Islands, Great Duck Island is the largest, with provincially-owned Low Duck and High Duck Islands to the north of it.^[4]

Low Duck Island's highest elevation is 4.6m, while High Duck Island's is 18m.^[5] Low Duck Island has Brent goose populations.^[6]

In 1804, Wilfred Fisher purchased High Duck Island to start a smoked herring business before expanding to Woodward's Cove, where he retained the title "King of Duck Islands".^[7]

As of 1866, there was a small fishing community made up of three families residing on High Duck Island.^[8] In approximately 1870, Alexander Fisher, grandson of Squire Fisher, left Eastport to establish a poultry business with chickens, ducks and geese on High Duck Island.^[9]

The islands are owned by the Government of New Brunswick, and Class II Protected Natural Areas.^[10]

The highest elevation on Great Duck Island is on its south end, and it slopes down toward the north.^[11] A submarine power cable runs from the south end of the island to Ross Island.^[12]

In the 1880s, residents of Grand Manan sent a petition to Ottawa seeking a fog whistle on Great Duck Island, so in 1884 Parliament appropriated the land and awarded a $2,070 tender to G. S. Mayes to build the fog alarm, a small keeper's dwelling and boathouse.^[13] Samuel G. Dinsmore was appointed the engineer to oversee the fog alarm.^[14] In 1892, federal funds were used to expand the property.^[15] In 1916, the foghorn was replaced with a diaphone sounding for four seconds, every 45 seconds and a lifesaving crew was stationed on the island.^[16][17] In 2010, its lighthouse was declared "surplus" by the Department of Fisheries which no longer wished to maintain it.^[18]

Today there is a 16.5m light station on the south end of the island, as well as a microwave tower.^[19][20]

As of 1923, Great Duck Island had a buoy associated with the island.^[21]

Keepers: Keepers: Samuel G. Dinsmore (1886 – 1906), Rupert Burnham (1906 – 1914), Manfred L. Daggett (1915 – 1916), Chick S. Stanley (1917 – 1922) Clayton E. Small (1922 – at least 1937), Jack Russell (at least 1974 – 1984).