The Thousands Islands By Air (2)

In ancient days, the Thousand Islands were a thousand craggy mountaintops.

In recent history, i.e. the last 100,000 years, their tops were carved away by ice-age glaciers moving from the northeast, then flooded by a powerful river spilling out of the Great Lakes.

From the 18th to the 20th centuries, the United States and Canada were negotiating and refining the boundaries between their nations. Deciding which Island would belong in each country added many complications, which is why the border zigs and zags along the St. Lawrence river.

Tour guides today, with tongue in cheek, urge visitors to gaze down into the waters, to try to spot the yellow line that divides the US and Canada.

On July 4, as the light fades, fireworks light up the American islands. The drone is flying from an anchorage on the Canadian side, so I’m keeping my distance, careful not to let it cross the border.

In these islands, the sunsets are often spectacular. Beautifully colored clouds reflect off still waters, framed by dark islands.

The open stretches between the islands allow an unobstructed view of sky, horizon, and water.

In daylight from above, the drone captures the random shapes of the islands. They’re often long and narrow, reflecting the sweep of the glaciers.

Invisible beneath the waves, you can see the ancient mountain tops, reaching almost to the surface. No one dares navigate this area without carefully ascertaining where a rocky shoal might endanger the bottom of their crafts.

This particular island is almost circular, and surrounds an almost-circular inner bay. For a moment, its shape is echoed by curves carved in the water by passing boats. In life, those wakes will expand and quickly dissipate. In photographic art, they are captured forever, to be cherished endlessly. 

Just another reason the Thousand Islands are one of the world’s premier sites for drone photography.