The US and Canada have been competing for over 200 years. It is an island with 16kms wide

The island of Machias Seal may soon cease to be the only territory that generates conflicts between the two US countries. But it is even a peaceful place, where two men coexist, hundreds of seagulls and thousands of rocks.

Has 80937 m² area and is between the US state of Maine and the New Scotland in Canada.

E There are those who live there – At least for a few months. This is the case of the Canadian brothers Anthony and Russell Ross, who are headlights on the small island, composed only of a lighthouse, the house where they sleep, many rocks and thousands of birds.

They do not work there full time: each one is only a farm for 3 months of the year, but the helicopter that takes them there only makes the trip once a month, tells. However, there are two tour boats entering and leaving the island once a day, one from the US and one from Canada.

During the 1812 war, Britain and the US claimed the island of Seal and the surrounding waters. Although it has no value in terms of heritage, this land is actually located in a valuable navigation routeso none of the countries, to this day, wanted to give up the territory. Britain gave way to Canada and the territorial dispute continues.

In 1832, Britain built a lighthouse on the island to physically enforce its claim. Since then, canadians have lived there, helping to keep sailors away from their rocky coast and protecting the land from human and natural enemies.

This is the work of the two brothers, who also have as their function Protect the thousands of sea birds -Atlantic’s sea papagans, sea-slobbing, referee and rabilongous button-in-the-sea swallows-who nest here during the summer.

At a time when US President Donald Trump threatens Canada with an annexation, this island serves as a remembrance of a confrontation that already existed, and can widen to the higher times of times.

But Anthony and Russel continue to do everything the same – watch the seagulls, light the lighthouse and enjoy a life away from urbanism. About whether the territory is from the US or Canada, their answer is carefree: “Birds do not care, they do not know the difference.”