[ISL] "Anyone can now explore Canada’s remote Sable Island, thanks to Google"

[rfmcdonald]

The Toronto Star carries the Canadian Press article noting that Sable Island is now searchable by Google, literally.

Whether they’re at a desk or on the couch, anyone with an interest in visiting the windswept dunes of Nova Scotia’s remote Sable Island can now do so without getting sand in their shoes.

Parts of the crescent-shaped island, situated roughly 290 kilometres southeast of Halifax, can now be seen on Google Street View.

From Google Maps, one click triggers a dizzying switch from the generic blue and green shapes of the map to crisp, 360-degree photographic images. Dozens of seals can be seen lounging in the white sand and blue surf on the expansive shoreline, and horses nibble on sparse grass among the shifting sand dunes.

An onscreen ‘x’ guides the user through a short “stroll” around a portion of the island’s midsection, with breathtaking views in all directions — but especially out over the Atlantic.

Danielle Hickey of Parks Canada said the 42-kilometre long, 1.5-kilometre wide island isn’t the first national park to appear on Google Street View, but she said its addition is especially unique and exciting because it is largely inaccessible to the general public.