Way back in 2018 — oh, remember those glory days before corona — I meant to share a bit about our adventure along the Atlantic Coast while we were road tripping through Newfoundland. I had posted about our trip then, but I mostly left out our journey to the ruggedly beautiful Witless Bay Ecological Reserve because I thought it needed its own love.
Well, it’s now 2021 and I’m FINALLY getting to it. And that’s because I recently painted a puffin and it got me to thinking of this place (+ Ireland) and how, on a crisp, late-spring day, Chuck and I found ourselves sailing along the coast from Bay Bulls to Witless Bay into an absolutely spectacular ecological delight that is home to hundreds of thousands of seabirds, including the clumsy kamikaze that is the puffin.
We set off from Bay Bulls with O’Brien’s Tours and saw a few minke whales along the way, before hitting the small islands that are home to what looked like a birdtopia — or a Hitchcockian birdemic — depending on your feelings on feathered creatures.
When we first came across the puffins we got giddy. They are such a delight to watch.
I mean, look at this little fool trying to land. Hurling in head-first…
And, c’mon, look at these little chubsters trying to take off! *waddle waddle waddle we can do it*
And here is the painting of the puffin that got me reminiscing about this experience. It sold immediately, but there’s still prints if you’re interested.
In addition to the puffins that were basking on the small islands in Witless Bay, there were thousands upon thousands of kittiwake gulls, common and thick-billed murres, Northern gannets, razorbills, black guillemots and cormorants.
This was one of those experiences where you pull out one of Chuck’s common expressions “’tis nature, it’s beautiful, baby.” He’s not wrong.
And for no particular reason, besides showing off how stunning Newfoundland is, here are some pics of places near Witless Bay. Sooooo Eastern Canada!
