"Returning To Branch , Newfoundland: Part Two"

 As I finished my walk down the cove and scanned the flotsam for booty, all I could salvage was this old plastic Black Duck, a very quiet paddling companion. Since I planned to do all the talking I figured it may well work out.lol

As I prepared to leave Gull Cove I quickly reflected on my thrill of having come to this area to paddle on the weekend of Sept. 27th and 28th. I was fortunate to have had good weather, which I had previously researched, and at this point looking forward to the leisurely paddle back to Branch and hoping for adventures along the way as I always do when I paddle. I was not to be disappointed. Please read on and enjoy the last segment of my paddle which really got it's beginning in St. Bride's one day ago. The images of this journey follow.

"The Elusive Ones"

 As curious as these seals were and as often as they showed their heads to me, bobbing up and down in the sea as they tread water, they were very hard to photo. It was as if they new what a camera was and as a result were camera shy. They were very playful throughout the trip and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them, especially the little ones who mimicked the splashing of their parents, as perhaps a warning to me, as they were being schooled in only ways I guess seals would understand.

"Descending Color"

 The lichen on the rock and the kelp of low tide provided as much color on a foggy day as I am sure it would on a sunny one. As I leave Gull Cove behind I am reminded of the beauty of this day and the good fortune I had to be part of this journey. As I look at the Black Duck on my bow I am reminded of the teaming life that abounds in this area of St. Mary's Bay and the coves and inlets that provide shelter for life to thrive.

"Floating Orbs"

 These jelly fish encountered as I left Gull Island provided much enjoyment for the solo paddle back to Branch. Their presence, like the seals' made me feel welcomed in their domain and I felt I had to proceed cautiously less they shy away from my kayak and I loose a paddling companion.

"Rock Solid"

 I found it hard to imagine life living so close to cliffs as thunderous waves must crash here often and confused seas must chaos create. But thriving below was another world of wonder and color on this magnificent Sunday in September.

"Jelly-Life"

Though I could not see at the time all that was going on beneath my boat I knew there was much life. You could feel it as much as see it. I saw lots of these Light Blue Jellies floating by but none seemed to linger long enough to photo. As I paddled to the cliff's edge their domain became more familiar and the clear waters allowed for some awe inspiring shots of some of the life below.

"Blue Under Blue"

 This is one of my favorite shots of the trip and it further illustrates the diversity of life in these waters and the beauty that exists not only above but just below the surface as well. The smooth waters allowed me to get close to cliffs edges and snap some shots of the life that hinges on the fringes of the rock that sinks to the shallow depths below.

"Leave No Trace"

 I leave only my wake and that temporarily when I paddle. Does A kayak look like a seal from under water? Hmmm. Maybe that is why the seals were following me.

"Catching Flight"

 I couldn't identify this bird from the distance but I felt privileged to see it gain speed and skim the sea surface a few times and catch flight as it glided into the fog.

"Opened Tunnel"

 I heard this loud suction sound as I was about to pass this crevice/tunnel so I decided to enter slowly to see exactly where the sound was coming from and whether or not there was life of somekind in here. I looked down on the waters surface and saw swarms of "Krill".

"Krill"

 An undersurface shot of Krill as I entered this rock tunnel. Krill if you are unfailiar, is a shrimp like marine invertebrate. They are small crustaceans and important organism of the zooplankton, particularly as food for Baleen whales, whale sharks, crabeater seals and other seals. A few bird species feed exclusively on them. No wonder those seals were playing everywhere.

The name "Krill" comes from the Norwegian word Krill meaning "young fry of fish". A fry is a recently hatched fish. Most Krill are swarming animals; the size and density of such swarms depending on the species and region. Swarming is a defensive mechanism confusing smaller predators that would like to snatch individuals. I noticed how the swarm became very dense as I paddled slowly into the opening.

"Gull In Flight"

The only Gull I saw on the whole trip and it wasn't near Gull Cove closer to Lower Red Cove looking SW. It was hard not to just paddle in circles trying to take in the beauty in the quiet and the still of the morning. I thought that my paddle strokes would be too loud and disturb someone or something and then only to be awakened by the splashing of the seals just out of reach of my boat. The serenity and mystical experience made me stop for long minutes to just sit there and float with the calm of no surf or swell, but just the rhythm of the tide.

"One Last Look"

 As I near Branch, I turn my kayak back towards Hare's Ears for one last look and gaze into the portal of fog I just exited...the portal of life really. Those living there seeking sanctuary and protection perhaps. Isolating themselves from the human world on the edge of a violent ocean and I couldn't help but feel the power of nature and the evolution of life and the fragility of all things living. As hard as it was to paddle on I felt that at least today, in this thickness of fog, all were safe.

"Leaving Branch, Newfoundland: Part One"

 I call this paddle Part One because the pictures that follow are the first part of a most spectacular paddle from Branch Newfoundland to Gull Cove on Sunday Sept. 28th, 2008. It was not a long paddle only about 5 leisurely hours of amazing scenery and an abundance of life along the route that I never knew existed in this area. Eagles, seals, krill, gulls, cormorants, jellyfish, gannets, and many shades of the rainbow of growth on the cliffs that teeter down to the waters' edge. I could not help feel humbled almost immediately by nature as I began my journey on this very foggy but sun shrouded day. Part Two I will post tomorrow and was as captivating as Part One turned out to be.

"Branch Harbour, Newfoundland"

 I was wondering at this point how my early morning paddle was going to evolve in the fog that looked pretty thick on the fringes of the harbour. I was treated to scents of saltwater and the smell of fog that cleared my head and lazily allowed me to slowly take in the calming of the early morning.

"Hare's Ears"

 The rocks in front of the bow of my kayak are called Hare's Ears on the chart. Just as I was coming upon Branch Head and saw the fog and how it was hugging along the shore's edges I became aware of a mystical feeling almost immediately that was to stick with me the whole of the journey on this beautiful Sunday on Sept. 28th, 2008. The calm of the waters and the stillness of the ait was enchanting. It was so quiet on this paddle that I swear I could hear the earth turning.

"Red Cove Point"

 The colors along the shore line were very crisp in the fog and sun as I paddled on this Sunday morning. Like nature had laid out it's finest draperies for this most spectacular coastal glide on the fringes of the Southern Avalon Peninsula. Very enjoyable and very calming.

"Sun and Fog"

 Although the fog was constantly present on the paddle from Branch Newfoundland, to Gull Cove I was also treated to the sun's rays straggling through at times and creating amazing colors on the water and reflections around the fog. This was taken near Small Point in St. Mary's Bay.

"Blessed Company"

 I was blessed with company for the whole of my paddle from Branch to and from Gull Cove. The seals were all about and curious as I slowly made my wake in their waters.I would stop occasionally to see their heads come from out of the fog and when I didn't see them directly they would splash to get my attention. Their seemed to be a family of them as there were heads of all sizes and many curious eyes. I felt quite at home with them.

"Sheep On Edge"

 I was kind of surprised when I rounded Gull Cove Pt. and found these sheep grazing on the very edge of this cliff. The colors of the cliff all the way to the waters below were quite intense and the sheep never became aware of my presence on the way in or on the way out.