Today is our last adventure at Whale Camp and what a perfect day for it! The fog is in the cove, but thankfully we can still go out. As we sit on the beach, Fred helps us adjust the foot pegs. I am in the stern of a tandem kayak and have the responsibility of steering the craft. I don't have a rudder on my necky, so I feel a bit spoiled. We head out with the goal of reaching Hole in the Wall. I was hoping that we could kayak through it, but the tides are not high enough in this cycle. We can barely see the Ferry dock as we approach Swallowtail light due to the fog. Fred loves to paddle in the fog and although I think it is fun, I am glad he knows where we are going!
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| Swallowtail Light |
I am trying to figure out how to paddle with someone else. Although I find rowing behind someone to be easy, keeping my paddle moving at the same speed is a bit tricky. I keep looking at the scenery and will occasionally hit Merry's paddle with mine. This is why I have always said that "I need my own boat"!
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| Herring Weir |
We had an unusual opportunity on our trip-to go into a fishing weir. I may have written about this in an earlier post, so I'll be brief. This one was being repaired by the family who owns it. The top poles of the weir are birch to be able to bend with the tides and wind. The bottom poles, usually spruce, are pounded into the ocean bottom. The nets are checked by divers underneath and above by the owners. I find these structures fascinating and beautiful. They are also extremely profitable!
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| Hole in the Wall |
This is the most photographed part of the Island. We found out on the trip that there are campsites along the edges of the cliffs. They have wires to prevent people from rolling out of the tents and down the steep cliff. We saw several tents pitched as we paddled by the cove. What a wonderful way to end our experience at Whale Camp! I hope to return to the Island some day. Thank you to Belmont Hill School and the Byrnes family for giving me this opportunity!
Hi Ruth!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your blog. I knew, of course, that you were doing this Whale Camp, but for some reason, I had not idea with was in Gran Manan. That's my parents' all time favorite place in the world to go. I can't wait to hear about your trip in person. Let's do lunch before the summer is over and we find ourselves sprinting into a new school year!
xo
Cheryl