Thar she blows! Visitors flock to St. Vincent's for whale spectacular
It's a whale of a time this summer at an eastern Newfoundland beach
It's not unusual to see whales off the coast of Newfoundland, but over the past few weeks, a combination of food and geography mean visitors to St. Vincent's beach have been treated to a close-up marine spectacular.
For weeks, visitors from near and far have been flocking to St. Vincent's, an outport community in eastern Newfoundland about 130 kilometres from St. John's. Capelin, a food source for whales, are rolling on the beach in St. Vincent's.
The deep ocean near the beach means whales can get closer to shore — surfacing about 10 metres from onlookers.
At least four whales were swimming near the shore Thursday, and hundreds of people gathered on the beach to watch.
Chesley Crane is originally from Bell Island, off Newfoundland's coast, but has lived in Cambridge, Ont., for decades. He said it was his first time seeing whales.
"Awesome. Just in awe. It's all I can say," he told CBC News. "It's a once in a lifetime for me."
But the whales aren't the only draw. Kids and adults were catching capelin as they rolled on shore, some of them for food.
Others, like Ansley Clark and her siblings, were curious.
"It looks very cool when they come up in the water," she said.
The chance of seeing whales, though, depends on the weather and the tide. Tourists and locals have been sharing daily conditions through Facebook groups.
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With files from The St. John's Morning Show
