This report was originally printed in the Fall 2002 issue of Ebb & Flow.
1:50,000 scale NTS maps - 12G/1 & 12G/2 (Bay of Islands), 12A/13 (Corner Brook), and 12H/4 (Pasadena).
Nautical chart - Pointe Amour to Cape Whittle and Cape St. George (1:350,000 scale)
Click on image to enlarge.
Sea kayaking is a great way to see the Bay of
Islands in western Newfoundland. The area offers an amazing amount of diversity and will
appeal to beginners and experts alike. As the name suggests, it has lots of islands but it
also has three fjord-like arms and spectacular scenery.
If you are just starting out, then you might want
to try some of the launch points close to Corner Brook like Prince Edward Park or the
community boat access in Irishtown or Mt. Moriah. These areas offer shoreline paddling so
that if you want, you can be close to shore. Also the wind and waves are generally more
conducive to learning in these more protected parts of the Bay of Islands.
Destinations from Irishtown include the Hughes
Brook Estuary or the scenic shoreline toward Summerside. At Mt. Moriah, you can paddle
along steep cliffs and small gravel beaches toward Cook's Brook or back toward Corner
Brook and the yacht club. We often see osprey patrolling the shore near Cook's Brook, and
there are often terns swooping and diving in this area as well.
Click on image to enlarge.
Further along the north shore is McIvers which
offers many destinations. For competent paddlers, it is the preferred launch point for
paddling to Wood's Island, but it also has a huge tern colony just off shore. McIver's
Island is home to over 1000 terns according to a recent survey by Environment Canada.
South of McIver's is a scenic waterfall and a
long deserted gravel beach which is ready-made for beach walking. From this shore, you also get great views of the
Blow Me Down Mountains which form an impressive backdrop to the skyline.
There are also many options along the south shore including Number #4 Brook in York Harbour. It is an ideal launch point for trips to Seal and Governors Island. Seal Island is particularly worth visiting for its secret cove laced with white sand. Also, nearby Bottle Cove offers a sandy beach for starting trips out into the open Gulf of St. Lawrence. From Bottle Cove you can paddle to Little Port or Cedar Cove or around South Head to Lark Harbour.
Click on image to enlarge.
All of these trips require a careful weather eye and competent
paddlers with all the safety equipment. You often need stay well away from the steep
cliffs in the area due to wave rebound, and there are few landing places. However, you are
rewarded with sightings of different sea birds like guillemots and eider ducks and
impressive views of offshore islands like Weebol.
At present, there is little information about paddling in this area, but the local club is
hoping to rectify that over the coming months. For anyone interested in learning more
about local sea kayak destinations contact Craig Burden (president of the west coast
chapter of Kayak Newfoundland and Labrador, tel. 709- 783-2101), Explore Newfoundland (a
local kayak business, tel. 709-634-2263) or Keith
Nicol (709-639-1770).
Contributor Keith Nicol has Level 2 CRCA Sea Kayak certification and teaches Outdoor
Pursuits/Environmental Studies at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook.