Day 52. Thar she blows.

We woke up in Whale Cove Campground on Digby Neck, Nova Scotia. Which meant there was only one thing to do with the day.

We booked with Ocean Explorations just across the ferry on Long Island, and went out in an inflatable Zodiac with Tom Goodwin, who was the first to offer whale-watching here, has decades of experience, but was admirably low key and somewhat wry.  (He had us all suited up in Guantanamo-style jumpsuits, but observed an hour later when we were some way from shore that in fifty degree water, you have only a 50:50 chance of surviving 15 minutes, and "the suits are to get the bodies back". ) Anyhow... jumping was far from our minds, as we were cruising way out under a hot blue sky, and we SAW whales.

They were humpback whales, first one, then two swimming side by side, then just as we were preparing to come back in, a last lone humpback which seemed able to dive for nine or ten minutes between appearances. I've been whale-watching before, but never so close to the water, able to see the whale's smooth back, the contours of its dorsal fin, and when it dives, that long roll forward until the tail clears the water right in front of you.

It was very calm way out there, with only about a dozen of us on the boat, perched on the sides of the inflatable. I really enjoyed the moments when the whales dived down, and we were all still, all watching, all listening, just scanning the wide blue sea to the horizon.

Back on land, I really felt the need to stretch and exercise somehow, and we took off down a small trail further along the island to Digby Neck's famous Balancing Rock - a column of basalt that really looks as if it shouldn't still be there. It took a good walk through the woods, then 233 steps down the side of the cliff to reach it.

That felt enough of a workout to justify supper, and we took the enthusiastic recommendation of our jolly campground hosts Gloria and Vaughn, and turned up at Lavina's Catch Cafe at the end of Long Island. Where Richard and I, having admired marine life for much of the day, proceeded to dismember more of it.

The ferries between the chain of islands here run to a strict timetable, and we made it to ours for the 20.00 sailing back to Digby Neck. Once again, the chap waving us aboard wanted to know all about the RV, and Richard invited him in to have a look.  We swapped life experiences as much as you can in three minutes, and he then got us invited up to the tiny bridge, where we squeezed in and talked to the captain as he steered the ferry across. It's only a five minute ride, but the currents are incredible, running both ways in the narrow passage, at around 8 or 9 knots (apparently among the fastest in the world). As Tom asked serious questions about radar, I just enjoyed being up high, and watching a couple of harbour porpoise dancing in our wake.


Home to Whale Cove campground a little sunburnt, full of lobster, and ready for the Family Movie experience of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" before Tom collapsed in bed, and we retreated to the master bedroom for the serious business of blogging. Goodnight all.