Belle Isle (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Belle Isle is a small island off the northern tip of Newfoundland that marks the northern entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle between Newfoundland and Labrador. The island serves as a prominent maritime waypoint in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

It is a rugged, sparsely vegetated island roughly on the order of tens of kilometres in length, with rocky shores and a history of seasonal occupancy. The island contains a lighthouse and ancillary structures that guided shipping through the strait.

The island has been used historically by indigenous peoples and later by European fishermen and mariners; its lighthouse and navigational role date from the period of intensified transatlantic and coastal shipping. Permanent settlement has not persisted in the modern era.

Geographically it sits at the northern mouth of the Strait of Belle Isle, between the island of Newfoundland and the Labrador coast, off the northeastern coast of the Canadian mainland.

• Maritime position: The island marks the northern entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle and has historically served as a navigational landmark for vessels entering the strait between Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Lighthouse and habitation: A lighthouse and associated former keeper buildings are present on the island; human habitation has been intermittent and the island is largely uninhabited today.