The magnificent landscape of Newfoundland has been molded by water and ice and, across its varied topography, waterscapes are ever present in the form of bays, sounds, lakes, rivers and bogs. But it is along the northeastern edge of the island that water most completely dominates the geography.
North of Gander, a network of peninsulas, causeways and islands extend into the Atlantic, creating a maze of inlets, bays and waterways. We spent a day in the Twilingate area, famous for its access to "iceberg alley." After calving from the Greenland glaciers, these massive bergs float southward along the Labrador and Newfoundland coasts and are generally present from March through June. Though our visit was too late for iceberg viewing, we took a boat trip from the natural harbor into the ocean waters, passing rock islands where gulls congregated in large, mixed flocks. Black guillemots also fished along the islands and we observed eight humpbacks and a lone fin whale.
The view from Twilingate's lighthouse (northeast of town) was spectacular and increased our appreciation of the region's landscape. As an added bonus, we were treated to a unique view of several whales that fed below our vantage point, their movements easily followed in the clear, calm sea.
