Day 5 (August 19, 2020): Grand Grand Manan!

Grand Manan is a large island in the Bay of Fundy, with a rich history.  We have long wanted to visit Grand Manan, and being in this part of New Brunswick provided a perfect opportunity.  We were up with the sun and headed out the door at 7:45AM so that we could catch the 9:30AM ferry out of Black's Harbour, which is about 35 minutes from St Andrews. 

Waiting for the ferry actually provided one of the highlights of the day:  the beautiful area around the ferry terminal gives an incredible insight into the ocean floor at low tide.

The crossings to and from Grand Manan were ideal:  a warm, calm, sunny day made for a pleasant voyage in each direction.  The crossing takes 90 minutes, and porpoises and whales are frequent companions to the ferries. We were fortune to have seen some!

Grand Manan is larger than we imagined: 34KM long and 18KM wide.  There are several small communities scattered from North Head (where the ferry lands) to Southwest Head.  North Head, Grand Harbour, Seal Cove and Deep Cove are the main villages.  We headed straight to Southwest Head upon arrival and worked our way back.  So the sights below are presented in a south-to-north order.

We made the 1:30PM ferry back to the mainland and were back at The Algonquin by 4PM.  An hour sitting by the pool, a walk in St. Andrews' downtown, and a dinner at the hotel provided a perfect ending to this day.  And the double rainbow at sunset was like a cherry on top of the ice cream sundae!

Early morning in Black's Harbour.

Low tide in Black's Harbour enabled a walk on the ocean floor.



The MV Grand Manan Adventure, as it arrived in Black's Harbour at 8AM.


The voyage from Black's Harbour to Grand Manan gave us several sightings: three pods of porpoises and a humpback (shown).


Swallowstail Lighthouse is one of the first sights of Grand Manan Island that one sees while approaching the island.


Pulling into the pier at Grand Manan - a bustling fishing port.


We started our exploration of the island by driving straight to the southern tip: Southwest Head.  The lighthouse there is a shadow of its former glory (there used to be twin lighthouse towers), but the cliffs Around the lighthouse truly impress.  

The lighthouse at Southwest Head.

Deep Cove Beach, Grand Manan Island.

Seal Cove has two churches side by side:  Seal Cove Wesleyan (on the right) and Seal Cove United Baptist (on the left).

Seal Cove was a true center for the herring industry in yesteryear.  The old production sheds are still standing, for the large part.

Seal Cove's historic herring sheds.

Seal Cove's historic herring sheds.


The beach at Seal Cove, Grand Manan.


Historic general store in Grand Harbour, Grand Manan.

St. Paul's Anglican Church, Grand Harbour, Grand Manan.

Canada Geese on the Castalia Marsh.

Heron at the Castalia Marsh, Grand Manan.

The old North Head Post Office, built in 1938.


Fishing float collections are common on Grand Manan.


Swallowstail Lighthouse...

... with it's scary boardwalk over a deep chasm.


The cliffs at Swallowstail Lighthouse.


These street names speak to an island where life is laid back and relaxed.  Can you imagine a more "chill" place to live?

We were supposed to return on the 3:30PM crossing, but were able to make the 1:30PM crossing on the Grand Manan V.  Here's the photographer at work!


The bell of the Grand Manan V, built in 1990.

We made it back to the Algonquin before 4PM.  After an hour by the pool, we headed to Water Street in St. Andrew's - one of the most quaint streets in Canada, to be sure.  Things felt quite normal, and that felt good.

The tide was out in St. Andrew's at 5:30PM.  Fed by the mighty Bay of Fundy, St. Andrews' harbour really empties out at low tide.

Note how far the waterline is below the high water line on the pier!  That's how high the tide will push in, in just six hours.  Truly incredible.

The historic Greenock Presbyterian Church.

And now, back to the piece de resistance of St. Andrew's:  The Algonquin Resort, reconstructed after burning and reopened in 1915.

After dinner at the hotel, we took a stroll and upon walking outside were simply astounded to look up and see this full, double rainbow.  STUNNING.

The sunset behind our wing of the hotel.  The end of a day which will long be considered a highlight of Summer 2020.