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Welcome to Swan's Island

Swan's Island is located off the coast of Maine near Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island. It is a remote island, with ferry service originating in Bass Harbor. The six mile crossing from Bass Harbor takes about 30 minutes. The ferry, "Captain Henry Lee", holds 17 automobiles as well as walk-on passengers.

The year-round population is about 380 people, with over 1000 residents in the summertime.

Swan's Island has some 7,000 acres with a highly irregular shoreline that provides secure and interesting anchorages for visiting boaters. It is hilly, but not particularly high. There is a quarry for swimming as well as places to visit on foot or bicycle. The island has three little villages, Atlantic in Mackerel Cove on the north coast, Swan's Island, on the shores of Burnt Coat Harbor in the south and Minturn on the north side of the Burnt Coat Harbor.

Lobstering is the main occupation on Swan's Island. The economy of the island is mostly dependent on the income derived from lobstering. Swan's Island has about 40 full-time lobstermen and women, and many part-timers, including school children who fish from small skiffs in the summer.

 

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