Gros Morne National Park

We got off the ship today to explore Gros Morne National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its scientific value. Its most visible feature is the Tablelands, which is a chunk of the Earth’s mantle which was pushed upward through tectonic processes and made visible when the crust above it eroded away over millions of years.

Serpentine (metamorphosed Peridotite)
Peridotite
Purple Pitcher Plant
Tablelands (mantle, displaced during subduction)
Glacial Valley
Roundleaf sundew (carnivorous)
Poop Soup from a pitcher plant (note the larve in the soup)

In the afternoon, we took a hike on the Burnt Hill Trail in Norris Point, a small community at the edge of the park.

Looking towards the tablelands from Norris Point

Norris Point

Another gull
Along the shoreline trail
Bonne Bay (with Tablelands)
Neddy Harbour
In a private yard across from the Anglican Cemetery

And then it was back to the ship, which is currently en route to Red Bay, Labrador.

A little Zodiac time in the Bay of Islands

This morning, we took a Zodiac ride through the Bay of Islands near Lark Harbour. Our guide and driver was Serguei, who is the geologist on the expedition team, and he told us quite a bit about the rocks we passed. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take notes. :-)

An unknown French sailor is buried here from a warship in 1770
Natalie (one of the expedition guides)
That’s quartz in them there veins!
Iron oxide escaping from the rock
Witness rock
Jellyfish