Nova Scotia - Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Cabot Trail)

Nova Scotia - part 11

(sightseeing)

August 6, 2018 - August 9, 2018

From Baddeck we drove north along the west coast of Cape Breton Island, through Cape Breton Highlands National Park and on to Dingwall where we camped for 2 nights. 

The Cabot Trail Highway

This circular route around the tip of Cape Breton Island is called the Cabot Trail, named after explorer John Cabot.

And I always thought John Cabot was an Englishman!

We did the entire Cabot Trail in two parts.  First we drove the western coast to Dingwall.  Three days later we drove the eastern coast back to Baddeck where we met Alice and Bill our friends from Texas (who we met in South Carolina) for lunch.  They had just returned from Newfoundland and showed us some gorgeous pictures of the scenery.  I think we're going to regret not going to Newfoundland.

Not much I can say about the drive along the Cabot Trail - the pictures speak for themselves.

Panoramic view of Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
There are virtually no roads to the interior making it a hikers paradise.

The hills in the park are so thick with trees that I was reminded of  the pictures you see of Kauai from the air.

 As we turned on the road leading to our campground in Dingwall we saw this sign.

We got quite a chuckle thinking about oysters camping in little tents and sitting around the campfire.

When we got to the campground office to check in, Laura found this.  😊

I guess we weren't the only ones that were amused by the sign.

Whale Interpretive Center - Pleasant Bay

We drove from Dingwall back to Pleasant Bay to visit the Whale Interpretive Center.  It's wealth of information conveyed by pictures, reading and statistics.  If you want to learn more about whales please read on - if not you can exit stage right.  (My apologies up front for the quality (or lack) of these pictures.)

These are the baleen whales found in Maritime waters.

The toothed whales found around in Maritime waters.

Dolphins and Porpoises found in Maritime waters, including the Orca and Long-finned Pilot Whales.
All the whales,dolphins and porpoises shown have teeth.

The influence of whaling on whale populations.

What people gained from whaling.

Finally - an end to the craziness. 

Clever way to show what whales eat.  First baleen whales:

And now the menu for toothed whales:

What kills whales?

If you made it this far congratulations - you found whales as interesting as I did.  Hopefully you learned something new in the process.  Thanks for hanging in there.