Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, USA. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Portland sits along its southern edge. Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of North America, roughly between Cape Cod in Massachusetts on the south and Cape Sable Island on the southern tip of Nova Scotia to the northeast. ... Official language(s) None Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 39th 33,414 sq mi  86,542 km² 190 miles  305 km 320 miles  515 km 13. ... The current Cape Elizabeth Lights is the official name of a lightstation located just south of Portland, on Cape Elizabeth, Maine. ... Seal of Cape Elizabeth Cape Elizabeth is a town located in Cumberland County, Maine, and is the states 2nd most affluent municipality (per capita) after Kennebunkport based on Census 2000 data. ... Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a 2004 population of 63,882. ...

History

There are two theories on the origin of the name "Casco Bay". One theory is based on Spaniard explorer Esteban Gómez, who explored the Maine coast in 1525 and named the bay "Bahia de Cascos" (Bay of Helmets, based on the shape of the bay). The second theory is based on Aucocisco, the Abenaki name for the bay, which means 'place of herons' (or sometimes translated as 'muddy').^[1] Esteban Gómez, also known as Estevan Gomez (c. ... Events January 21 - The Swiss Anabaptist Movement was born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptized each other in the home of Manzs mother on Neustadt-Gasse, Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union. ... Abenaki couple The Abenaki (also Wabanaki), meaning people of the dawn, are a tribe of Native Americans/First Nations belonging to the Algonquian peoples of northeasternNorth America. ...

The islands in the bay are also called the Calendar Islands, based on the popular myth there are 365 islands. This was first reported in 1700 by Colonel Wolfgang William Römer, a British military engineer, who reported there were "as many islands as there are days in the year."^[2]. The United States Coastal Pilot lists 136 islands.^[3] Robert M. York, the former Maine state historian said there are "little more than two hundred islands."^[4]

The bay is also home to abandoned military fortifications dating from the War of 1812 through World War II; During World War II, Casco Bay served as an anchorage for U.S. Navy ships. Combatants United States United Kingdom Strength United States Regular army : 99,000 Volunteers: 10,000* Rangers: 3,000 Militia: 458,000** Naval and marine: 20,000 Indigenous peoples New York Iroquois: 600 Northwestern allies: ? Southern allies: ? United Kingdom Regular army: 10,000+ Naval and marine: ? Canadian militia: 86,000+** Indigenous... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...

The State Historic Site of Eagle Island was the summer home of Arctic explorer Robert Peary. Pearys house on Eagle Island Eagle Island is a State Historic Site in the United States state of Maine. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole. ... Robert Edwin Peary (May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole. ...

Marine Economy

Portland has a substantial fleet of deep-sea fishing vessels, which offload their catch primarily at the Portland Fish Exchange. Numerous towns and islands serve as ports for lobster boats. Recreational fishing boats can also be chartered.

Major marinas include For other uses of this word, see Marina (disambiguation). ...

• Brewer's in South Freeport
• DiMillo's Old Port Marina in Portland
• Dolphin Marina in Harpswell
• Handy Boat Service Inc. in Falmouth
• Maine Yacht Center in Portland
• Port Harbor Marina in South Portland
• Portland Yacht Services in Portland
• Strouts Point Wharf Co. in South Freeport
• Yankee Marina and Boatyard in Yarmouth

During the 1980s and 1990s, Bath Iron Works operated a dry dock in Portland Harbor to repair U.S. Navy vessels, but the operation was discontinued. A view of the ocean near Lookout Point in Harpswell. ... The original Falmouth is in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. ... South Portland is a city located in Cumberland County, Maine. ... Yarmouth may refer to one of the following places. ... Bath Iron Works from NAS Brunswick photo gallery Bath Iron Works (BIW) is located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine. ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ...

Ecology

Predominant fish in the bay include mackerel, striped bass, and bluefish. Shellfish include lobsters, crabs, mussels, clams and snails. The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ... Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. ... Binomial name Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792) Striped bass are members of the temperate bass family which include white perch and white bass. ... Binomial name Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766) The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is a species of popular marine game-fish found in all climates. ... Cooked mussels Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. ... Clawed lobsters comprise a family (Nephropidae) of large marine crustaceans. ... Phthirus pubis Pubic lice (Phthirus pubis), also known as crabs , are one of the many varieties of lice (singular louse) specialized to live on different areas of different animals. ... Mussels A mussel is a bivalve shellfish that can be found in lakes, rivers, creeks, intertidal areas, and throughout the ocean. ... Categories: Pages needing attention | Animal stubs ... Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica) The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan Class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ...

Harbor seals congregate on certain exposed ledges, and whales on occasion swim into the bay, and in a few instances into Portland Harbor. Whales are the largest species of exclusively aquatic placental mammals, members of the order Cetacea, which also includes dolphins and porpoises. ...

Seagulls, cormorants and varying species of ducks are the most common birds; more rarely osprey, eagles and herons have been sighted. Genera Pagophila Larus Rissa Creagus Xema Rhodostethia Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae and subfamily Lari. ... Genera Nannopterum Phalacrocorax Leucocarbo The Phalacrocoracidae family of birds is represented by over thirty species of cormorants and shags. ... The word duck was also used as slang for the WWII amphibious vehicle called a DUKW. It is also a cricketing term denoting a batsman being dismissed with a score of zero; see golden duck. ... Binomial name Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. ... The Eagles redirects here. ... Heron (disambiguation) Genera Ardea Zebrilus Philherodias Tigrisoma Ardeola Bubulcus Egretta Agamia Butorides Tigriornis Tigrisoma Gorsachius Syrigma Zonerodius Nycticorax see also: Bittern Herons are medium to large long-legged, long-necked wading birds of the family Ardeidae, which also includes the egrets and bitterns. ...

Casco Bay contains bay mud bottoms and banks in some locations, which provide important substrates for biota. Richardson Bay mudflats of are exposed layers of bay mud Bay mud consists of thick deposits of soft, unconsolidated silty clay, which is saturated with water; these soil layers are situated at the bottom of certain estuaries, which are normally in temperate regions that have experienced cyclical glacial cycles. ... Biota can refer to several things: The plant and animal life of a region; see biota (ecology) A municipality in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain; see Biota (municipality) A superdomain in taxonomy; see Biota (taxonomy) Biota Holdings, the Australian biotech company This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other...

Transport

The major islands in the bay are served by the Casco Bay Lines ferry service in located at the Maine State Pier in Portland. Peaks Island is served by a car ferry, and during the summer sees 16 ferries a day. The other islands see fewer ferries and no car transport, the Diamonds and Long Island are served primarily by the Diamond Pass run, which is popular with tourists in the summer months. Other services offered by Casco Bay Lines include a daily mailboat run, cruise to Bailey Island, and a sunset run. Casco Bay Lines (also known as the Casco Bay Island Transit District - CBITD) is a publicly run transportation company that services the residents of the islands of Casco Bay. ... Peaks Island, Maine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Other services such as water taxis are also popular alternatives to the ferry, but are limited to 6 passengers per boat.

Islands

• Bailey Island
• Basket Island
• Williams Island
• Bustins Island
• Clapboard Island
• Cliff Island
• Cousins Island
• Cow Island
• Crab Island
• Crow Island
• Cushing Island
• Great Diamond Island
• Great Chebeague Island
• Eagle Island
• French Island
• Hope Island
• House Island
• Irony Island
• Jewel Island
• Lane Island
• Little Bustins Island
• Little Chebeague Island
• Little Diamond Island
• Little French Island
• Little John Island
• Little Mosier Island
• Little Whaleboat Island
• Long Island
• Lower Goose Island
• Moshier Island
• Orr's Island
• Peaks Island
• Pettingill Island
• Pound of Tea
• Williams Island
• Sow and Pigs
• Sturdevant Island
• Upper Goose Island
• Upper Green Islands
• The Brothers
• The Goslings
• The Nubbin
• Whaleboat Island
• Williams Island

Bailey Island is an island in Casco Bay, and a part of the city of Harpswell, Maine, USA. As of the 2000 census, the island had a year-round population of 400. ... Cliff Island is an island in Casco Bay Maine. ... House Island is an island in Portland harbor in Casco Bay Maine. ... An island in Casco Bay on the Gulf of Maine. ...

Lighthouses

Casco Bay is home to 7 lighthouses. The Peggys Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. ...

• Cape Elizabeth Lights
• Portland Head Light
• Ram Island Ledge Light
• Spring Point Ledge Light
• Portland Breakwater (Bug) Light
• Halfway Rock Light
• Pocahontas (Echo Point) Light, The smallest lighthouse registered with the United States Coast Guard. It stands only 6 feet tall.

The current Cape Elizabeth Lights is the official name of a lightstation located just south of Portland, on Cape Elizabeth, Maine. ... Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world, is located in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. ... Undated photo of Ram Island Ledge Light Ram Island Ledge Light is a lighthouse in Casco Bay, Maine. ... Undated photo of Spring Point Ledge Light Spring Point Ledge Light is a lighthouse in South Portland, Maine USA, and marks a dangerous obstruction on the west side of the main shipping channel into Portland Harbor. ... 1962 photo of Portland Breakwater Light The Portland Breakwater Light (also called Bug Light) is a small lighthouse in South Portland, Maine. ... Undated photo of Halfway Rock Light The Halfway Rock Lighthouse is a Lighthouse beacon located on a barren ledge called Halfway Rock in Casco Bay, Maine. ... Coast Guard Seal The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a military branch of the United States involved in maritime law, mariner assistance, and search and rescue, among other duties of coast guards elsewhere. ...

Forts

• Fort Gorges
• Fort Preble
• Fort Scammel
• Fort McKinley

Fort Gorges Fort Gorges is a military fort built on Hog Island Ledge in Casco Bay, Maine. ... Fort Preble. ... House Island is an island in Portland harbor in Casco Bay Maine. ... Categories: Islands of Maine | Cumberland County, Maine | Stub ...

Notes

1. ↑  The Islands of Casco Bay, page 4
2. ↑  ibid, page 3
3. ↑  ibid
4. ↑  http://abacus.bates.edu/pubs/mag/96-Winter/york.html

References

• Caldwell, Bill (1982). The Islands of Casco Bay.
• Bibliography of Casco Bay