Grey Seal Visits close to Chaleur shore in PoInte-Verte NB

There was such little ice cover on the Bay of Chaleur during winter of 2010-2011 that we saw more seals coming close to the Chaleur shore here in our village of PoInte-Verte.  Now that the ice on the shore is melting people are walking along the shore. And so it's not surprising that our friend, Daryl Mary Smith got such a wonderful closeup of this grey seal.

She sent the photo to the experts at the Shippagan Marine Centre. They identified it as a grey seal. Wikipedia says the grey seal is also called the "Hooked nose sea pig" and I found another name, the horsehead seal. Either pig or horse, grey seals eat a lot. This one is estimated to weigh about 770 pounds, that's 350 kg and measure about 7 feet, over 2 metres.

Our neighbours who fish in the Bay of Chaleur during May to September have lost thousands of dollars of equipment and even more from lost harvest when the seals eat the fish caught in the nets. They report that the population of seals is growing. It seems the seals are smart enough to let the people catch the fish. Then the seals swim up and gobble the best parts. They do leave the fish heads but we people don't eat fish heads either.

When you stay at Gite Toutes Saisons Bed and Breakfast you can watch the fishing boats on the Bay of Chaleur, walk to the wharf and visit with the crews. In season, even buy some seafood. IF the seals haven't feasted first.

Wave action leads to erosion control and oceanview even better

Wave action can be relaxing but the force of the waves can also require erosion control. Since we opened our B&B in 2000 the many rocks seemed to protect our shore and the paths guests followed to relax seaside. Our guests often commented on the exceptional ocean views from every room at Gite Toutes Saisons Bed and Breakfast.

Part of that view has changed. Phil likes it better. Barbara misses the sturdy trees that clung to shore’s edge. The roots of those trees were exposed by the wave action during the December 2010 storm. One tree toppled during the storm.

And so it was time to call in the big machines with tons of granite to install shore protection.

Now the view is even more open. To experience it yourself reserve your stay.

Check your default setting on your GPS; important driving tip

Is your GPS on its default setting? An important driving tip is to set your GPS for the area you're visiting. You could get lost like the driver in the story below.

Our bed and breakfast is 8 km (almost 5 miles) from the major highway, New Brunswick #11. Many guests now use GPS. When entering the coordinates of our location (lat.47.8652. long._65.77) it's also important to select the setting called "main roads" or "paved roads".

GPS devices often use a default setting like "use all roads". That may be sensible in metropolitan areas. In New Brunswick a GPS setting like "use paved roads" makes more sense. The story, published across Canada, of a medical student driving from Montreal, QC to Bathurst, NB shows this.

Somehow the student missed all four exits to Bathurst. The GPS directed to turn onto an old mining or logging road. The car got stuck in heavy snow. The driver was lost in woods near Miramichi with no cell phone signal, lots of snow and beautiful views.

Fortunately she had food, bedding and a positive attitude. Very fortunately the road is used as a snowmobile trail. Snowmobilers discovered her on the third day. While we're happy for her and her family we want to be sure our guests avoid that adventure.

And so adjust the settings on your GPS to suit where you're driving. Driving a car, especially in a snowy winter, means being prepared: warmth, food, light and GPS settings.  If you have any questions about how to find us on the ocean shore of the Bay of Chaleur simply use our toll-free 1.877.783.3122 or e-mail Barbara@relaxseaside.com.

December 2010 - different

December started with more snow in southern Ontario than here on the shore of the Bay of Chaleur in northern New Brunswick. Then the winds came. They brought record breaking amounts of rain but still no snow.

We watched in awe. Our log home stood firm and muffled the sounds of the winds and waves. A tour of the neighbourhood showed us what wind and water can do.

Those high waves moved rocks that weighed a ton.

The combination of heavy rain, high winds and shallow roots also moved this grove of cedars. It's up the street from Gite Toutes Saisons B&B. Phil and I will be watching to see how these trees fare. As of today we can still see the grass! 
A different December!