This beautiful 120-acre island is relatively low and flat, with most of it at an elevation of less than 40 feet. The island is about 1.5 miles long, and only 500 feet wide at its narrowest point. The center region of the island is low field and shrub land that exhibits remnants of the island's past use as land for grazing, while the two ends are forested with higher elevations and rockier soil.
It is the largest undeveloped island in Casco Bay and has long been of great scenic beauty from the mainland as well as from vessels passing by. The northern half is completely wooded with a great variety of flora and fauna.
During the 18th and 19th century several homes were occupied and a school educated 4 or 5 children until 1904 when the school closed and students rowed to the mainland for their education. There are remains of stone walls and tales of two farms on Whaleboat but no dwelling foundations have been located.
Easement Acquired: 1986
Property Owner: Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Easement Holder: HHLT holds an easement on the northern half of the island; Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has held an easement on the southern half since 1974.
Easement Purpose: To preserve and protect the natural, scenic, aesthetic and agricultural features and resources of the island.
Public Access: Yes
Other
1. Download "Great Whaleboat Island" by Samuella Etnier
(From a report prepared to be given orally in the mid 1970's. We thank her son, David Etnier, for permission to use this report.)
2. From the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (July 2003):
Whaleboat Island is relatively low and flat, with most of its 125 acres at an elevation of less than 40 feet. The island is about 1.5 miles long, and only five hundred feet wide at its narrowest point. The center region of the island is a low field and shrub land that exhibits remnants of the island's past use as land for grazing, while the two ends are forested with higher elevations and rockier soil. Most soils on the island are from the Hollis series, which is rocky with fine, sandy loam. The island was used by Europeans between the 18th century and the 20th century, but was inhabited by Native Americans prior to this. It is populated by a number of mammals, including snowshoe hare, white-tail deer, vole, and red squirrel, although it is not home to any rare or endangered species. Coyote and raccoon have also been observed on the island. There are 45 terrestrial bird species on the island, and 14 potential breeding species. Three invasive non- native plant species grow on the island, the most threatening of which is oriental bittersweet, a vine that presently grows above the beach on the eastern side of the island.
The largest natural community present on the island is the maritime spruce-fir forest. This forest takes up 80 acres in areas of higher elevation located in the northern and southernmost parts of the island. The maritime spruce-fir forests are primarily made up of red and white spruce, with the occasional appearance of a yellow birch and red maple. This area is inhabited by 31 species of terrestrial birds. Some of the most common breeding birds in this area are black-capped chickadee, winter wren, golden-crowned kinglet, yellow-rumped warbler, common yellowthroat, and song sparrow.
Maritime shrub land covers 35 acres of the island, with a patch at the southern tip of the island and two large areas surrounding the field in the center of the island. Maritime shrub land is dominated by rugosa rose and bay berry, and is frequently home to raspberries and poison ivy. The most dominant terrestrial breeding birds in the maritime shrub land noted in a breeding bird survey completed in 2002 were gray catbird, yellow warbler, common yellowthroat, and song sparrow. Although a 2002 survey did not find evidence of seabird, waterfowl, wader, or shorebird nesting activity, the abundance of fruit-bearing plants in this area during the fall indicates that it might provide an important food source for staging migratory songbirds.
The island also has what is known as a "pocket" salt marshes, the largest of which is located in a large cove on the east side of the island near its middle. Salt marshes on the island are a blend of two typical types of marsh: spartina salt marsh and mixed graminoid-forb salt marsh. These marshes are made up primarily of Spartina grasses, black grass, and seashore salt grass, among other species.
The old field takes up about 10 acres at the center of the island. It was created by domesticated grazing animals such as cattle and sheep that were brought to the island in the l7th century. Due in part to the efforts of the previous landowner, it has not yet been reclaimed by surrounding shrub land. The area is likely washed over by waves during major winter storms, which may prevent shrubs and trees from populating the area. The field is home to a number of grasses, including fescue, sweet vernal grass, quack grass, and Rhode Island bent grass. None of these grasses are native to the island. The field is only inhabited by two bird species: common yellowthroat and song sparrow.
...Although no endangered or threatened species were found on the island in the 2002 survey, both fragrant wood fern and sea beach sedge, species that occur very infrequently in Maine, were found by a 1977 survey of the island. Additionally, the maritime shrub land is designated as an exemplary community by the Maine Natural Areas Program. It is used by migratory songbirds as a staging area and is an important habitat for gray catbird and common yellowthroat. Waters surrounding the island are frequented by spotted sandpipers and great blue herons, in addition to gulls, common loons, double-crested cormorants, Wilson's storm petrels, and black guillemots. Osprey, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, and great horned owl were all observed on the island. Unsuccessful osprey nests were located on the northeastern shoreline and in a blowdown in the south-central part of the island...