Write for permission to visit Sable Island, to the Director of Maritime Services, Canadian Coast Guard at Foot of Parker Street, P.O. Box 1000, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 3Z8.
Include the following information with the request: reason for the visit; names of the people to visit; planned method of transport to and from Sable Island; planned dates of the visit; and other facts about the visit's logistics.
Contact the island--at (902) 453-9350--before arrival by aircraft or helicopter, to confirm that your visit will not interfere with ongoing scientific work on the island. Air transport must be either owned by the visitor or chartered, since there is no regular service of any kind to the island. Maritime Air Charters Ltd. in Enfield, Nova Scotia, provides fixed-wing air transport to the island on a chartered basis (see Resources).
Contact the island before arrival by ship, as well. There are no piers or docks on the island, so it must be approached by zodiac or other small boat from the main ship.
Be self-sufficient in all ways during your visit to Sable Island. As Environment Canada puts it: "Sable Island is a remote outpost, and the normal range of commercial, municipal, and medical services are not available."
