Monday, July 05, 2010

Bellevue Peninsula -- What a Day!

This day is a perfect example of fabulous paddling in Newfoundland! Tony and Leslie organized a paddle around the Bellevue Peninsula in Trinity Bay. About a 90-minute drive from St. John's.

We started out in a calm lagoon behind Belluvue Beach. After a getting around a shallow gravel bed, we headed out through the gap in the beach into Trinity Bay. Below are Ysabelle and Leslie waiting for Dave Mac and Melissa to launch their boats.


The shoreline started out with rocky bluffs and stunted spruce. Below is Darren.

It was a warm day, so Ysabelle used my bow to cool off.

Soon the cliffs started to get higher.
Below is Tony Lee. He took some nice photos of the day, which you can check out on his website (http://www.kayaktherock.com/)

Soon after we started out, a minke whale came by to check us out. The whale came in for a close look. Then we started bumping 3 or 4 bald eagles up the shoreline. Below Darren takes a close look at an adult eagle.

And the cliffs just got higher. Brian provides good scale below.

When we rounded the north end of the peninsula, out came the sun! The day became even more beautiful.

We headed for lunch on a cobble beach, just southeast of the point.

Nothing whets the appetite like warm sun and an enjoyable paddle with friends.

Basking on warm rock.
After lunch, the rock hopping got better on the paddle south to Thornlea.
Towards the end of the afternoon, a bit of a head wind came up, which made us work a bit more to reach Thornlea. I highly recommend this location for a day paddle (25 km), when the seas are calm and the winds low. We saw whales, eagles by the dozen, mink, osprey, and lots of seabirds. Great rock hopping in a gentle swell, pocket beaches, high cliffs and clear waters. You just have have to love it!

3 comments:

Alison Dyer said...

crthis is a beautiful paddle. And I too was followed by a stealthy minke when we paddled it a few yrs ago w/Jamie & Bill. Alison

Anonymous said...

awesome

Anonymous said...

nice