Great Duck Island Lighthouse

Located about 5 miles off the Maine mainland, Great Duck Island has long been a favored nesting ground for seabirds, thanks to its isolation and rugged coastal habitat. The island’s light station was built in 1890 to help guide vessels through these offshore waters, where fog and rocky shores posed constant dangers to mariners. Although remote, the lighthouse played an important role in regional navigation for decades.

Today, Great Duck Island is owned by The Nature Conservancy, which manages it as a protected bird sanctuary supporting thousands of nesting seabirds each summer. The lighthouse and keeper’s house are owned by the College of the Atlantic and are used for ecological and environmental research, continuing the island’s connection to science and conservation. While the island itself is not generally open to the public, boat tours offer excellent views of the lighthouse from the water, and occasional guided birdwatching trips are available. Nearby, a small burial ground holds the poignant grave of three shipwrecked men who were found frozen to death in each other’s arms, a sobering reminder of the island’s harsh maritime past.