One of the treats of being on the coast is experiencing a sunrise over the ocean. I visited the Rockland Breakwater in the early morning on the 13th of May 2023. It is an impressive structure that is 4300 feet long with a lighthouse at the terminus. It was built with 768,774 tons of granite and completed on November 24, 1899. I arrived before dawn and started walking toward the lighthouse. The tide was in and the water level was flush with the top of the rocks. I had the impression that I was standing in the water as the sun broke over the horizon.

An easy walk

The breakwater is 43 feet wide and the surface is flat. It would be possible to drive the distance to the lighthouse but turning around would be an issue. Also the rocks are underwater when the tide exceeds 11 feet.

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse

After the sunrise I walked the remaining distance to the lighthouse. There were a few people taking their morning jog or walk. I saw a few cormorants but they dove out of sight before I could photograph them. The lighthouse is barely visible from the far end of the breakwater.

The lighthouse was completed in 1902, approximately two years after completion of the breakwater. I walked around it but couldn’t exactly step back to get a full photo of the structure. It is open to visitors, but not in the early morning when I was there.

Be Good to Yourself

Be good to yourself, visit Maine, walk the breakwater, have some fish-n-chips for dinner.

Wildlife

As I was leaving I spotted a fox family near the picnic benches. I only got a photo of a wary Mom looking out for her kits.