Machias Seal Island
| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
Machias Seal Island on the horizon | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Far Southern region of the Bay of Fundy |
| Coordinates | 44°30′0″N 67°6′4″W / 44.50000°N 67.10111°W |
| Archipelago | Grand Manan Archipelago (disputed) / Machias Seal Island & North Rock Archipelago (disputed) |
| Area | 8 ha (20 acres) |
| Administration | |
| Province | New Brunswick |
| Claimed by | |
| Province | New Brunswick |
| State | Maine |
| Demographics | |
| Population | None (Two Canadian Coast Guard lighthouse keepers occupy the lighthouse on a rotational basis; temporary population increases in the summer with University of New Brunswick researchers and a Canadian Wildlife Service observer) (1995) |
| Additional information | |
| Machias Seal Island Lighthouse | |
The island with the lighthouse in the centre | |
| Constructed | 1832 (twin tower first) 1878 (second) |
| Foundation | concrete base (current) |
| Construction | wooden tower (first) concrete tower (current) |
| Height | 19.8 m (65 ft), 25 m (82 ft) |
| Shape | tapered octagonal prism tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white tower, red lantern roof |
| Power source | solar power |
| Operator | Canadian Coast Guard |
| Heritage | recognized federal heritage building of Canada, heritage lighthouse |
| Fog signal | two 3s. blasts every 60s. |
| First lit | 1915 (current) |
| Focal height | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Range | 17 nmi (31 km; 20 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 3s |
Machias Seal Island is an island in disputed water between the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy, about 8.6 nmi (16 km) southeast from Cutler, Maine, and 10 nmi (19 km) southwest of Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. Canada has had a permanent settlement on the island since 1832, when the lighthouse was first constructed. However, the United States also claims sovereignty of the island, despite never having physical presence on it. The Canadian Coast Guard continues to staff the lighthouse on the island.