Black Duck Cove

Black Duck Cove. . , The 44-foot long Eagle was part of a fleet that transported herring to and from Lubec's canneries. Built in 1908, she was beached here decades later as the herring industry declined and it was no longer economical to keep her in good repair., Welcome , Cobscook Shores is a system of 15 parklands dispersed along the southern and western shores of Cobscook Bay from Whiting to Lubec. The parklands are privately owned by Cobscook Shores Inc., a family funded Maine charitable foundation., The parklands offer public access and recreational use including walking, picnicking, hiking, biking, camping, and paddling in Cobscook Bay., The name "Cobscook" is derived from Kapskuk, a Passamaquoddy word meaning "place where the water looks like it is boiling.", Welcome to Black Duck Cove, where the history of herring and the future of smelt connect us to our role in protecting the natural world and cultural landscapes of Cobscook Bay., The Bay , About 0.5 miles along the trail to Black Duck Cove, you will cross a bridge high above Smelt Brook. Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) spend most of their lives in Maine's coastal waters, travelling up this brook, and hundreds of others along the coast, in the spring, laying their eggs in shallow freshwater riffles and pools. The clean, shaded waters of Smelt Brook provide a healthy habitat for these 6-8 inch long fish, who often share freshwater streams with tomcod (Microgadus tomcod), sea-run brook trout (Salvelinus fontmalis), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata)., The People , If you arrive at Black Duck Cove at low tide, you might notice what looks like the decaying remains of a shipwreck. This is all that remains of the freighter Eagle, a ghost from Lubec's rich herring fishing history., Generations of Lubec residents made a living harvesting and processing Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus). Caught in the cold ocean waters nearby, herring were smoked or canned (as sardines) at dozens of factories around Cobscook Bay., The 44-foot long Eagle carried up to 2,500 cases of sardines from Lubec's canneries. Built in 1908, she was beached here more than 60 years later, as the herring industry declined and it was no longer economical to keep her in good repair., Learn more about Lubec's herring industry at Old Farm Point and the Historic McCurdy Smokehouse Museum., Conservation , Today, the effort to preserve the natural resources and cultural landscapes around Cobscook Bay offers new opportunities for economic prosperity. The work of private organizations alongside federal, state, and local govern-ments, is protecting public access and the natural communities that make the bay so special. Traditional uses, such as hunting and harvesting clams, continue. Opportunities for hiking, camping, birdwatching, paddling, and other recreation abound for both locals and tourists who are drawn to the natural beauty of downeast Maine., [Photo Captions, top to bottom ] , - Sardine freighter Eagle beached at Black Duck Core, 1975 , - Rainbow smelt , - Rainbow smelt [ Rules and Map Legends were not transcribed ]