Gros Morne - The Bay Chapter

Our campground in Gros Morne National Park is just a couple miles from Norris Point, which sits at the entrance to Bonne Bay, a beautiful, two-armed bay that was discovered by Captain James Cook [check this] and named for its beautiful, sheltered waters and abundant forests.

On Wednesday, June 20, 2018, we planned a hike at Norris Point during the morning.

This was our first view of the community:

he harbor is small and accommodates a few fishing boats, a ferry to Woody Point, and a tour boat operator.  From here, we could look across, past the Norris Point harbor light, to the Gros Morne Tablelands, which we plan to explore when we return to Deer Lake later this month:

We found the trailhead for our hike on the Shoreline Trail, but as we approached it, we ran across this beautiful old stone root cellar built into the hillside above the harbor.  Local records call it, "Harding's Root Cellar":

As we arrived, the Bonne Bay Ferry left the dock, headed across the bay toward Woody Point, and we caught it passing the Woody Point light:

Beginning the trail, we started climbing immediately, which gave us a breathtaking view across the harbor toward the Tablelands, which were starting to be bathed in sunlight as the clouds blew away:

The Shoreline Trail took us out around Norris Point and gave us a view up one of the arms of Bonne Bay:

From the waterline, the trail led us up a boardwalk and wooden steps toward the top of the head.  David led the way:

The Shoreline Trail, coupled with the Saddle Trail and Hilltop Trail, formed a long figure 8, and we wound around the hilltop looking at views in all directions.  As we worked our way down the backside of the trail, we ran across  young Snowshoe Hare that was happily munching luscious greenery.  It seemed young and unafraid of humans, because it lingered long enough for us to get a great close-up of the handsome little one:

Descending toward the Norris Point harbor again, we got yet another view of the Tablelands behind the harbor light, and it was yet sunnier this time than it was the last time we looked:

One of the attractions in Norris Point is the Norris Point Marine Station Aquarium, which is primarily a research facility, but it also runs an educational facility.  The aquarium displays exhibits about plants and animals common to Bonne Bay.  Here, Kathy, grabbed onto a HUGE crab claw:

Some of the Aquarium's tanks had unusual fish from the Bay.  In this tank, we had a chance to get to know a Pirate Fish (pleasant looking fellow, no?) posing in front of typical local kelp, as well as red-colored algae that will grow on the surface of glass bottles discarded into the Bay:

Other interesting fellows the guide introduced us to was a huge snail, which we could handle --

-- and this rare blue lobster:

As it happens, lobster's shells carry color genes for blue, red and brown.  In some lobsters, only the blue color is present, hence the deep blue color.

We would have loved to linger longer at the Aquarium and learn more about the waters near Rocky Harbour, but we had a date with a boat on Western Brook Pond.  More on that in the next blog entry.