Our luck with the weather held for another day, and we woke at Woody Point to bright sunshine and the promise of temperatures in the mid-70s. An intrepid dozen or so guests departed with two naturalists for a strenuous hike to the top of the Tablelands while the rest boarded buses for a drive to the top followed by a short hike with a Parks Canada ranger and, of course, some Lindblad naturalists. The morning’s centerpiece was the mantle section of the Bay of Islands ophiolite complex, a cross-section through a mid-oceanic spreading ridge now thrust up onto the continent where it can be observed. The rocks have undergone metamorphic changes, converting their original olivine to serpentine with a distinctive surface texture. This process releases trace heavy metals in the rocks, which render the soils toxic to most plant life apart from carnivorous Newfoundland pitcher plants, the provincial plant of Newfoundland and Labrador. During lunch, the ship repositioned across the bay to Norris Point for afternoon activities. Half the group visited the Bonne Bay Aquarium, affiliated with Memorial University in St. John’s, while others took a short bus ride to Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse.
9/18/2024
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Red Bay, Labrador, Canada
Today I hugged a human dressed as a lighthouse. It was a spectacular day. Even from the Zodiac as we approached the small Labrador community of Red Bay, people were smiling, people were waving, and the “lighthouse” was dancing. You could feel the love and joy of this tiny, close-knit community. The people we met today were, of course, not the first people to settle on this land. This area is acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site predominantly due to its incredible underwater preservation of Basque whaling shipwrecks and the settlement dating back to the sixteenth century. This history was illuminated for us by a lovely team of Parks Canada interpreters as we strolled around Saddle Island amongst the vibrant low-lying fall foliage and incredible ocean vistas. The afternoon was a choose-your-own-adventure of various hikes or free time in town. The day was a highlight for many as the weather and the views above the water were phenomenal. Below the water, Hailey Shchepanik, one of our incredible dive pair, was able to revisit a historic shipwreck she had worked to preserve years earlier.