The island's location at the mouth of busy Halifax Harbour, surrounded by many rocks and shoals made it the setting of many shipwrecks over the years.

A new first order Fresnel lens from Barbier, Benard & Turenne in Paris was installed to complete the work in November 1906.

Sambro served as the departure point from North America for Joshua Slocum's famous solo navigation around the world in 1895.

The Spray was then alone..."[6] As the landfall light for the major strategic port of Halifax, Sambro has witnessed many shipwrecks and sea battles.

A few months before the Battle of Halifax, in December 1779, The schooner Hope wrecked near the Sambro Island Light on the Three Sisters Rocks.

Weeks later, 170 British sailors were lost when two vessels – the North and St. Helena – were wrecked in a storm when entering Halifax harbour.

On September 1, 1782, the American privateer Wasp sailed to Pennant Point, where they were confronted by three men from Sambro who fired on them, killing one of his crew and wounding three others, including Captain Thomas Thompson.

[12][13] During the War of 1812, the American privateer Young Teazer captured two vessels in May 1813 right off Sambro Island Light before the privateer was pursued and trapped by British warships near Chester, Nova Scotia, where Young Teazer was blown up with heavy loss of life to prevent capture.

For example, in WW2, while mine sweeping near Sambro Light Vessel on 24 December 1944 while preparing to escort a convoy, HMCS Clayoquot was hit by a torpedo aft fired by U-806.

Just before the light was destaffed, the Sambro Island Light served as the setting for several memorable seafood commercials for National Sea Products featuring "Captain Highliner" portrayed by Canadian actor Bob Warner,[19] which made the Captain Highliner persona a pop culture reference in Canada.

[22] Many have accused the Canadian Coast Guard of essentially abandoning Canada's oldest lightstation to the elements, despite its historic status and proximity to Halifax.

[23] Mariners and heritage groups have petitioned the Coast Guard and the Nova Scotia House of Assembly passed a resolution in November 2007 labeling the neglect of the island as "a careless disregard for the nation's Maritime and its history of responsible government.

"[24] In the wake of these concerns, an enlarged solar system was installed in the spring of 2008 with enough power to run both the light and a foghorn.

Good views of the site are obtained from Crystal Crescent Beach and Sandy Cove near Ketch Harbour.

The First order Fresnel lens which operated at Sambro from 1906 until 1968 is displayed at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, along with the DCB electrical beacon which lit the tower from 1968 until 2007.