We arrived in Bonne Bay to a beautiful sunrise off the coast of Newfoundland. After breakfast we landed in Woody Point to begin our explorations of this magnificent national park. Some of us hiked up to the Big Lookout while others went to explore the Tablelands. The Tablelands represent a unique piece of the earth’s mantle that has been thrust up onto the North American continent by tectonic processes. The distinctive yellow-brown peridotite rocks dominate the landscape. The yellow-brown color is just a surface feature where the iron minerals in the rock have oxidized. The Tablelands are almost barren of plants due to toxic minerals and a lack of nutrients. In this harsh environment we found Newfoundland’s provincial flower, the pitcher plant. This plant captures and digests plants to supplement its diet! Because of its unique character, the Tablelands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the afternoon we moved over to Norris Point on the north side of Bonne Bay to further explore the park. Some of us took a walk along a coastal trail and investigated Green Point, a wonderful example of the strata representing the boundary between the Cambrian and Ordovician periods. A feature of many of Canada’s national parks and historic sites are the iconic Red Chairs. Some of us kayaked along the coast near the ship, where we saw “erratics:” boulders deposited by the glaciers which carved these magnificent fjords.
