Coastal Geology
Sea of Whales Adventures proudly operates in the Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark. A UNESCO Global Geopark is a geographical region where sites of international geological significance are managed through protection, education, research, and sustainable development. The Discovery Global Geopark, on the Bonavista peninsula, begins just before the intersection of Route 230 and Route 235. It encompasses the entire peninsula from there to Cape Bonavista.
Famous Vistas
The Discovery Global Geopark received its UNESCO designation in 2020. It is home to some of the oldest animal fossils on Earth. These fossils are an important link in understanding how early life formed in our oceans. The Geopark is also home to spectacular vistas and sedimentary rock formations. These sites have a certain vibe, feeling almost magical. In fact, Disney felt the same way — several of our local Geosites appeared as parts of Neverland in the Disney film Peter and Wendy. The Dungeon, Sea Arch, Fort Point, Elliston, and Spillars Cove were all used as back drops for Disney’s latest instalment of Peter Pan’s story.
Shaping Life
A Geopark is more than just the rocks. The rocks underpin everything else that has happened since their formation. The glaciers scraped off much of the topsoil, dumping it offshore and creating what would become one of the world’s richest fishing grounds. The weight of the glaciers compressed the land and our coastlines are still recovering. The rebounding coastline here is characterized by few and poorly developed beaches. The slope and grain size of these beaches provided prime conditions for spawning capelin that come onshore to lay their eggs. This mass movement of this bait fish drives an entire ecosystem. It is why cod fish come inshore in the summer. The codfish attracted early visitors from Europe, who first came only in the summer and later stayed to settle this region. The capelin are also responsible for the movement of seabirds and whales to inshore nesting colonies and feeding grounds.
Root Cellars
The flagstone in the Geopark breaks into flat slabs that are used for building root cellars. Root cellars allowed settlers to store food that they grew in summer months all winter keeping it from freezing and spoiling. Root cellars are still used for this purpose throughout the geopark and are featured prominently in Elliston, know as the Root Cellar Capital of the World. Roots, Rants and Roars is an annual food festival hosted during harvest time to celebrate the root cellars, harvest, local food and the landscape.
Geology Boat Tours
Sea of Whales Adventures offers Rock the Boat geological boat tours on Tuesdays and also customized times for private charters. These tours showcase parts of the Geopark that can only be accessed by water. Every Sea of Whales Adventure experience involves some discussion around the geology of the Geopark and how it effects the ecosystem of Trinity and Bonavista Bays. We look forward to showing you the Discovery Global Geopark. Book a tour today!
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