July 18: What a View at Bonavista!

I’m in love! I was so taken in by the spectacular scenery, sunshine, whale watching, and Atlantic Puffins at Cape Bonavista that I might still be there if a severe thunder and lightning storm hadn’t necessitated my departure. After disembarking from the ferry today I headed straight out to the Bonavista Lighthouse for what turned out to be a delightful afternoon.

Thanks to the generosity of two fellow travelers who shared their cabin with me, I was able to get a great night’s sleep on my 16-hour voyage across the Cabot Straight from North Sydney, Novia Scotia to Argentia, Newfoundland last night. The ferry arrived around 9:30am this morning but took an hour later than usual to dock because of severe winds in the area.

It was exhilarating to finally disembark from the ferry and find myself in Newfoundland. I headed north on highway 1 towards the Bonavista Peninsula and was immediately struck by how green and lush everything was. I was surrounded by so many beautiful evergreens I almost felt as if I was traveling through a giant Christmas tree farm.

Due to the severe winds and an abundance of potholes on most of the roads I needed to focus on my driving rather than the scenery most of the way to the Bonavista Lighthouse. I did note that most of the surrounding trees seemed to be growing at an angle, evidence that perhaps the strong crosswinds are a regular occurrence. As I headed east on highway 230 towards Bonavista Bay I was greeted with a picturesque view of the Bay and the road snaking towards it.

The Cape Shore Road leading out to the lighthouse took my breath away. I feasted my eyes on huge panoramic views of the bay, large grassy expanses of vegetation on top of rocky cliffs, and several islands surrounding the peninsula.

Once at the lighthouse, I walked a short distance along the top of the rocky cliffs to see numerous whale sightings. Almost every minute I was able to catch a whale breaching, blowing water through its spout, or flipping its tail through the water. The whales appeared to be circling Gull Island in the distance. The water at the base of the cliffs was a deep blue color and I noticed some extraordinary highlights of light green around the bases of the some of the rocks.

From this same vantage point, I could also see Bird Island, home to a Puffin colony in the Bay. The Atlantic Puffin is a type of bird that looks a little like a penguin and sports a colorful beak and webbed yellow feet. There were dozens of these birds flapping their wings and walking along the ridgeline of the island.

I left a little earlier than I would have liked because of an imminent severe thunderstorm. As I sped off the cape, thunder cracked, and lightning struck and the town lost power, resulting in the closure of all the gas stations. I did find gas the next town over but ended up navigating through heavy rain and fog that was so dense at times it appeared to be a white wall. At one point I crested a hill and got hit by a cross wind so strong I felt like I was lifted off my bike. Thankfully I made it safely to my host home for the night. I am looking forward to exploring this remarkable island for several more days.