Bay of Fundy National Park - Hikes & Cape Enrage Lighthouse

 

All set up at the Bay of Fundy National Park for 2-days.  We previously stayed at Loch Lomond, a campground in Amherst NS.   We wanted to see different views of the Bay of Fundy. 

Experience the World's highest tides along the overlook at the Bay of Fundy NP.  They even had seating for us to just sit and relax. The views were beautiful. The day we arrived the weather was beautiful.  We decided to complete a couple of hikes because rain was forecasted for the entire next day.  We also managed to get some photos of the tides as well. 

In the Bay of Fundy, you can see two high and two low tides each day. The time between a high and low tide, on average, is six hours and 13 minutes.  Obviously, this is low tide. 

If you could zoom in on this photo, you would see metal supports at the rear of the ship to keep it stable.  We tried to make sure we took photos at low and high tide at the same location. 

A photo at the harbor six hours later at high tide.   All things look normal. 

The white boat to the right is the other photo we took. These boats six hours earlier had no water at all in port.   The fishermen must coordinate their fishing trips to coincide with the rising tides. 

As you can see the tides ranges from 20 feet to 49 feet which is awesome. The Highest tide ever recorded was 53.6 feet in 1975, a Guinness Book World Record.

Bay of Fundy is known for having the rarest whales in the world, the highest tides on earth and for being scattered with dinosaur fossils. In 2014 experts made Bay of Fundy one of the natural wonders of the world.

This is the starting point for the Shiphaven Trail. 

Wolfe Point and seating for two. 

This is a popular trail for birding, hiking, and running, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day.

This is a very easy, mostly flat trail with good views of a covered bridge, the remains of an old mill, and a river that feeds into the Bay of Fundy.  You did have to walk up and down steps along the trail.

A view of the covered bridge. 

We had to travel through the bridge on the way to the trailhead. 
 

You can also hike down to the beach as you return on the trail, it adds .3 miles to your trip. 

Just taking a break and watching people walk along the beach. 

The hike was very easy. This was once a busy spot for milling and loading ships.

Dickson Falls Hike. Walk on the boardwalk to a stunning waterfall.   

I did say board walk! The trail is very cool as you walk along the rushing stream. 

This 0.7-mile trail is worth the effort. The stream that trickles down from the falls feeds a lush marsh that carpets the rocks green, as you make your way along the trail.

Not sure how many steps we had to walk down and walk up but it's well worth it.  The longer loop is under construction and was not open to the public. 

There are many vantage points to view the falls and the rushing mountain creek. 

National Parks are maintained for the people – for the ill that they may be restored. For the well that they may be fortified and inspired by sunshine, the fresh air, the beauty, and all the other healing, ennobling and inspiring agencies of nature. 

Words from the First Canadian National Parks Administrator 

We also had the opportunity to visit the Cape Enrage Lighthouse. The drive from the park to the lighthouse is approximately 23 miles. 

Cape Enrage is the name given to the southern tip of Barn Marsh Island, an island located in Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada.  

It has been automated and unmanned since the 1980s. They say the foghorn is extremely loud especially if you are close to the lighthouse when it discharges. 

They even have a 600' zip line located on the property.  It was not in use during our visit. 

You can walk down to the beach area as well.  

 Bay of Fundy is a must see on any Canadian Vacation. It is simply a wonder of nature that simply must be experienced to be appreciated.  We had a great time visiting the park and seeing the Bay of Fundy from another side.  

Whale Watching in the Bay of Fundy - Petit Passage

On our way back from hiking the Balancing Rock Trail earlier in the morning, we thought we would check in with Petit Passage Whale Watch Company to see if they had any cancellations for the afternoon trip.  Just our luck, they had seats available for the 1:30 trip.  It's rare that they have a cancellation but it's a good thing for us. 

As you can see, we have plenty room for all passengers.  The upper deck can accommodate up to 12 people.  The captain can steer the boat from the upper deck as well.  A good viewing area to track the whales. 

After about an hour or more drive on the Bay of Fundy, we came upon our first whales. A pair of humpback whales that have been feeding in the area. 

Our first blowhole. When whales dive under water their nasal plug covers their nasal passages to the blowhole, but when they come up for air these muscles contract and allow for the blowhole to open. Some are quite spectacular. 

There is a whale chart on board to help passengers identify different types of whales. 

A humpback whale eats about 1.5 tons of food a day while feeding mainly krill and other small schooling fishes. Everyone is excited to see them.

These humpbacks will travel all the way to Argentina to breed.  They do not eat anything during the breeding season. The blubber they store helps protect them from the cold and provides an enormous, stored energy.  

the

We came upon two Baleen whales, a mother and her baby.  When born, the calf is about 23 feet long and weighs 5,000 to 6,000 pounds. 

Our first good view of the whale fin.   We were told that the boat captains take photos of the fin to identify the whales.  Boat Captains carry an identification list, so they identify individual whales. 

Other whale watching companies were also searching for whales as well.  They sometimes shared whale experience but always stay at bay so not to harm the whales. 

 We had a great time seeing the whales. In 2011, we flew our grandkids to Seattle to start a Coast-to-Coast tour with our motorhome. We all went on a whale watching tour, but never got to see a whale.  Disappointing at the time. 

 

 MVI 1948 - YouTube

Here is the best video of our trip.

The seas were very calm, and the weather was fantastic.  We stayed out about 2 hours before returning back to shore.  During our return, we spotted an Ocean Sunfish about 6-7 feet long.  They are the worlds heaviest bony fish. 

We really enjoyed our day hiking and whale watching.  It was an incredible day!

 

 

The Balancing Rock Trail - Long Island NS

The 1.0 Mile Balancing Rock Trail leads visitors from the parking lot, just off Highway 217 outside Tiverton, through woods and bog to the southern shore of Long Island. We decided that this would be another good tune up for our upcoming Acadia NP trip in Maine in a couple of weeks.

To get to the Balancing Rock location, you have to take a short ferry ride from Tiverton to Long Island.  The ferry is free for all vehicles and passengers. 

Once on the other side, it's a short drive to the Balancing Rock Trail entrance.  

A map of the trail. We did remember to bring water and insect repellent for this hike. 

We had a narrow wooden bridge to walk over for an 1/8 of a mile.  Not a lot of room for people to pass each other. 

Most of the trail was packed loose gravel. The path was in good shape and easy to follow.

No, it's not Big Foot, it's me walking down 250 steep wooden steps which provide access to a cliffside viewing platform.

At the end of the trail, you have a great view of St Mary's Bay and the rock formations. 

A brief explanation of how it was formed two hundred million years ago. 

The Balancing Rock is a force of nature standing proudly on the cliffs. We did read that fishermen tried to pull the rock loose with their boat, but it would not move.  

Another view of the cliffs. 

The platform was solidly built with metal handrails as you walk down the steps.

We did hike back up the 250 steps with a little rest along the way. We did see many people hiking the trail during our return. When exiting the trail, you see some encouraging words "May your steps from this point forward be as enlightening as the ones you have just taken".   We were very glad we did the hike. 
. 

Driving South West Nova Scotia Shoreline

 

We rode our trike along the shoreline in Yarmouth Arcadia Shores down to South Shore.  The yellow line on the map shows the scenic route.  We also rode from Digby, upper left down to East Ferry on the peninsula along the Bay of Fundy.    

We traveled the Evangeline Trail along the shoreline stopping at lighthouses and fishing villages.  The shoreline and fishing villages are wonderful, and the scenery was outstanding. 

The Gilbert Lighthouse, built in 1904.  Nova Scotia has given lighthouses to local communities to operate and/or maintain as they see fit.

 Many lighthouses are automated while some are just for visiting. 

Kathy spent time talking with the lady running the lighthouse store. She climbed the ladder to the light area on top and took a couple of photos.

This is what you see typically in most fishing villages.  In Yarmouth Nova Scotia, the Lobster season starts in November and ends in May.   The rise and fall of the tide in this area is about 15 feet. 

The locals say the Nova Scotia lobsters are sweeter than other lobster caught in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Our whale watching tour boat does double duty for the lobster season.

 

We saw many great looking Churches as we travel throughout the region. Saint Marie, the largest wooden Church in North Ameria.  Most of the Churches have large steeples. 

Saint Bernard constructed in 1910. 

 The villages in Yarmouth are very similar to the villages in Cape Breton and other fishing villages in Nova Scotia. The people here are walking around in shorts and tee shirts, while we have 4 layers of clothing riding the trike.