Late June is an exciting time for North Atlantic onshore activity. Icebergs cool the waters, while cool onshore breezes prevail. Herring spawn, tinting the water green, and capelin migrate to Newfoundland beaches. Majestic whales return to feed and frolic close to shore.
One of my favourite places to ogle the whales is at St. Vincent’s beach on the Avalon Peninsula’s Irish Loop. The beach is covered with small, rounded rocks, and the waves conceal a steep drop-off that serves as an ideal spot for schools of capelin to gather, making them easy prey for whales. This is where I was yesterday — St. Vincent’s beach.
This beach is known for its pea-soup foggy conditions, but yesterday the fog stayed away, and the clear blue ocean revealed whales, sometimes four at a time, skimming the surface. They appeared to be gathering their food before plunging and scooping mouthfuls of delectable capelin.
My camera captured whale tails, waving fins, and baleen mouths filtering water from their captured food. The spectacle left me in awe.
I will share some photos once my camera battery charges and I am able to select a few from tge hundreds that I took yesterday. Stay tuned.
