Day 10 – Port Blandford to St. John’s

Today we are heading to St. John’s, the last city on our tour.  First though we will make a couple of stops first at Bay Bulls, for a whale watch cruise, and then Cape Spear Lighthouse.  Leaving Port Blandford we are again on the TCH 1 and the weather is not promising as it is cloudy. 

As we move along the highway we continue to glimpse more of the many lakes and pond here in Newfoundland.  Only now we are getting hills in the background along with the water. 

We cross the narrow strip of land leading to St. John’s and the rest of this area.  In the crossing we pass several more ponds, rivers and coves.   

We exit the TCH 1 and move onto Rt 13, named the Witless Bay Line, until we reached Rt 10 where we turned north heading for Bay Bulls.  As we drive around the end of the bay to get to our puffin and whale watch cruise we pass the Pennecon Energy Marine Base.  Look at the spools of whatever waiting to be sent to the oil platforms. 

As we wait for the puffin and whale cruise to start we can see part of the town from the dock.  Looking inland you can see that it is cloudy with some fog in the higher elevations. 

Then you turn towards the mouth of the bay and it is a different story.  As you can see the further out to sea you go the foggier it gets and it seems like the fog is coming in.   

Fog or no fog it looks like we are going out on our puffin and whale watch.  On the Gatherall’s Puffin and Whale watch boat, we leave the dock I couldn’t help but take a picture of all the boat buoys.   

Here are several cuties on the boat waiting to see whales and puffin.  Wait, they’re smiling because they are looking at me.  Ha! 

The fog is coming in fast and I hope this boat that is heading out to sea has a GPS. 

YES!!!  I got a good, mostly clear, picture of a puffin as it was swimming in front of the boat.  It is a bonus that the puffin has a fish in its mouth.  Now if we do not get any good and clear views of puffin I am happy. 

On the starboard (right) side of the boat on our way out an eagle is spotted in a tree top.  It’s really foggy but Carmen was still able to get a fair picture.   

I have been watching the puffin in front of the boat and as the boat gets close they will dive into the water under the boat.  Here one of the puffins is diving and still has a leg up in the air. 

We are now out of the bay and it is getting more difficult to see any land.  The fog is getting thicker and as we head out to the island where we should see puffin I am skeptical. 

When we get to Great Island it seems to be in a hole in the fog because as we get closer to the island it is clearing.  We can begin to see more puffin and other birds more clearly as I see this one in front of the boat. 

Carmen gets a great shot of a couple of puffins beginning their take-off routine, which is long.  You can see the bird’s steps in the water as it is taking off. 

Look at this puffin in flight that flew in front of the boat on its way out to sea.  Carmen did a great job of tracking it from the island to get this picture.  You can even see the reflection on the water, fantastic. 

We are fairly close to the island and right where we are it is almost clear.  From where the boat sits off shore we have a good view of the rookery.  These birds are sitting in front of their underground nests. 

I have noticed that when puffins begin their flight from the water, they seem to be doing a breast stroke until they get enough momentum to get out of the water.  Here is one now, it will either take flight or dive out of the way. 

There are more birds here then just puffin, here we can see a number of birds that look like penguins but instead are common Murre (or Turr) sitting on the rocks.   
 

Okay, I’m getting the eye like saying “enough about the other birds, look at me!” 

We slip close to the island and I get a good clear view of several puffin at their burrows on the cliff side.  A great view of the birds on the island.

I have never seen a baby gull before today and on this island I have seen at least ten.  Here two sit as one of the parents takes a nap.

It has been difficult to get, but I finally get a picture of a Northern Gannet.   

However, the puffins are quick to admonish me for not paying enough attention to them and begin to wait longer in the clearer air before moving out of the way of the boat.  This one is almost daring the boat to get closer.  Oh well, they are cute, are they not? 

The run-way is clear for takeoff; look out because here I come.  We haven’t seen many Greater Shearwater, (I think that is the name of this bird), but seeing one as it takes off is something else.

Now I know when I’m getting “the” look.  It’s like what are you doing, this is a puffin watch not other birds watch.  Look at me!  I am so cute.

As we make our way down the island and around to the other side you can easily see all of the puffin and other birds in the water.  Besides the birds we are starting to get back into the fog. 

We are nearly around the island and on the other side from where we saw the puffin.  There are not as many birds on this side and we are near enough to the island that we can see waves crash onto the rocks. 

We are now motoring around in the boat, having no idea where we are, looking and listening for whales.  I hear from one of the spotters of a boat off to port and see this boat with people fishing.  If there are any whales around near us we’ll never see the water spouts or any breaches.  Puffin – yes, boats – yes, whales – no. 

They tell us that we are circling around looking and listening for whales, but next thing you know we break out of the dense fog and we can see the boat’s dock and our motor coach.  No whales this trip and we are now on our way to our next stop. 

While we were driving to Petty Harbour, we pass a zip line.  This one is quite high and we can just see someone running down the line to the next stop. 

Petty Harbour has some interesting boats and fishing shacks.  As we have usually found, boats are generally colored brightly as the blue and white boat seen here between the fish shacks. 

Fishing boats on both sides of the harbor tied up as the fishing season has ended. 

One of the cod and crab fishing boats rests at the dock next to the color matching fish shack.  Petty Harbour is a quaint fishing village that is not so petty. 

Cape Spear was dedicated as a National Park by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1983.  You can still see we are in heavy fog and can barely see the newer lighthouse from the parking lot. 

The old lighthouse is further up the hill from the newer lighthouse.  The fence separates the flat grassy area from a cliff high above the crashing surf. 

   

Looking down over the flowered cliff we can see the crashing waves onto the rocks.  Now you can see why they have a fence along the rocky cliff. 

In 1940, the American and Canadian Joint Board on Defense decided to protect the approach to St. John’s harbor.  Gun emplacement, such as this one, and the magazines and barracks were constructed by 1941.  Although enemy submarines attacked allied shipping in the nearby waters, Fort Cape Spear never saw action. 

While walking on the paths along the cliff edge, I came upon this flower, which I think is some sort of an orchid.   

It’s getting close to the time we need to meet at the coach, but we have to stop at the most easterly location in North America.  You must of course be specific in stating the most eastern in the “western hemisphere” North America, because Semisopochnoi Island in Alaska is the most eastern latitude location in the United States of America possessions.  Its a trick question.

Walking towards the coach I happen to look up and see all of the buildings that make up the Cape Spear lighthouse and National Park complex.  You can see the new lighthouse on the left and the older lighthouse building on the right.   Shortly after this picture the fog got thicker.

We leave Cape Spear and travel to the other side of St. John’s to the top of Signal Hill.  Based on the fog we had at Cape Spear we did not have high expectations of clear skies.  But just look at the views we have from the top of Signal Hill with the castle like building.  

One of the supply ships for the oil rigs that are out at sea off the coast of Newfoundland.  Notice the pilot ship alongside.  The pilot will disembark the larger ship once clear of the lane to the harbor. 

On the opposite side of the Narrows, which is the harbor entrance, we can see a lighthouse and what looks like fortifications for the gun emplacements of Fort Amherst.  

 

From atop Signal Hill Carmen is in front of St. John’s and the harbor.  In the far left side of the harbor is where the old dry dock was at one time.

Part of the hiking system on and around Signal Hill includes a short jaunt to the fort on this side of the port entrance.  Here you can see the canons they might have had and have as part of the display.   

Looking south from the top of the hill, we can see the land extend out into the sea.  The furthest away is where the Cape Spear lighthouse is and as you can see it is still buried in fog.   

While waiting for everyone to get on the coach and head to the hotel, someone sees a whale spout in the distance.  Carmen gets this picture of the whale just above the surface.

I think the whale, either a Fin or Minke, is feeding on a school of fish because it is not moved very far from this location.  Here the whale just has its head out of the water and breathing a blow spay at the same time. 

This whale is arching its back for what appears as a deep dive.  But as we have watched, the whale is staying near the surface and what we think is feeding. 

My last shot of the whale before getting on the coach appears that it is rolling in the water.  Can’t really tell for sure but the body stayed in this position for several seconds. 

Tomorrow we will tour St John’s and the afternoon free.