Humpback Whale Rescued in Bay of Fundy

Although entanglements in fishing gear are still one of the most frequent causes of whale injury and death, there was a bit of good news this week in the Bay of Fundy. A humpback whale is swimming free after it was disentangled from fishing gear in a daring high-seas rescue.

A rescue mission was launched after a fisherman called in to report a humpback trapped in lobster-fishing gear off Grand Manan Island. Fears that the whale may have drowned (since the gear in which it was wrapped was anchored to the bottom) were unfounded once the team of fisheries officers and whale experts arrived on the scene.

Fortunately, there was enough slack in the ropes to allow the whale to breathe at the surface.
Rescuers worked on the docile whale for about an hour, cutting the ropes and completely freeing it from the fishing gear. Phew...one happy ending to an often tragic tale!

Bay of Fundy U.F.O.?

Well, this has to be a first...the first time I've ever heard of a U.F.O. over the Bay of Fundy! Bay-side residents of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine reported seeing 'strange lights in the sky' last week. At first there was concern that a plane had crashed in the bay, but a quick search by the U.S. Coastguard revealed that was not the case. Ten minutes after a rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida an expendable fuel tank separated and dropped into the Bay. Although about 100 miles off the coast, this seemed a bit too close in my estimation...we've got lobster boats and other vessels in the Bay of Fundy at this time of year! Luckily nothing but the water was hit.

Humpback Whale & Calf film on Animal Planet

Not owning a TV can sometimes make it tricky for me to catch the odd film of interest. Here's one that's definitely worth a trip to the neighbor's: Animal Planet's 70 minute Humpback Whale documentary chronicling the migration of a Humpback Whale and her calf.

The film, Ocean Voyagers, follows their epic journey from the waters off Polynesia where the calf is born to Antarctica. Additional footage was shot in the Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine, Hawaii, Newfoundland, and Alaska. Humpbacks, thought to have cruised the earth's oceans for millions of years, tend to follow a regular migration route which takes them from a summer in temperate (Bay of Fundy) and polar waters to winters in tropical waters for mating and calving. There's lots of 'never seen before' footage in this new film, airing on Animal Planet on Dec. 16.

Bay of Fundy Blue Lobster Caught

It's lobster season again around most of the Bay of Fundy. This week a Bay of Fundy fisherman was in for a surprise when he pulled his lobster traps: one of the occupants was blue! True, lobstermen everywhere occasionally catch blue, speckled or even white lobsters. What makes this fella special is that he's unusually big for a blue lobster - about 4 lbs.

Interestingly, blue lobsters still turn bright red when you cook them and they taste the same as other lobster. No one will be eating this one for Christmas dinner; the workers at the fish plant aren't going to sell him. He'll hang around in the fish tank for everyone's amusement instead.

Another Bay of Fundy book

Well, OK, this book, Ebb & Flow, isn't precisely about the Bay of Fundy but it is about tides and it's written by a Canadian: Tom Koppel! I'd heard about this book but had a bit of trouble tracking it down (turns out it was for sale on Chapters after all...I had searched the title incorrectly). Oops

I did track down Tom on the West Coast of Canada though. Here's part of Tom's note back to me:

Hi Terri, Thanks for getting in touch...There is really a lot in the book about the Fundy tides, shorelines, biology, history and science, as you will see when you get it. You probably do not know this, but after my wife and I visited Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to research the Fundy tides, I also wrote several travel feature articles about the Bay that appeared in 2006 in Australia's top daily paper, as well as the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, and in the Boston Herald.

Tom's book, Ebb & Flow: Tides and Life on Our Once and Future Planet, weaves together three grand narratives, exploring how tides impact coasts and marine life, how they have altered human history and development, and how science has striven to understand the surprisingly complex way in which tides actually work.

Check it out on Chapters.ca. Looks like I'm going to have a lot of reading to do over the holidays!

Bay of Fundy Xmas Book

I've previously profiled other Bay of Fundy publications on my blog already (see Fundy book tab on the sidebar) but I just came across a new one about the tides and how they work.... Beyond the Moon: A Conversational, Common Sense Guide to Understanding the Tides.

It retails for about $74, not sure why so expensive - it must be really good!

I hope to find out! I've put it on my Christmas list so when I get it, I'll read it and post a 'review' here on my blog. I have an ocean's depth of interest in learning more about the tides!

Take a look at this book on Chapters.ca.

Bay of Fundy quilted lighthouse

As I've mentioned in previous posts, the Bay of Fundy continues to inspire all kinds of creativity among its artsier residents and visitors. The ocean floor endlessly fascinates photographers, our sea creatures inspire potters, wind and waves inspire authors, and cliffscapes inspire painters.

I just came across a quilter whose recent visit to our region resulted in this fabulous quilted lighthouse "post card". Featured here is West Quoddy Lighthouse, located on the easternmost point of the USA, near Lubec, Maine....technically at the very opening of the Bay of Fundy. Here's a note from the artist:

I absolutely fell in love with Maine when I made a trip up there in October. I am determined to go again. 10 days just wasn't enough but it was a great overview. I cried all the way from Lubec to Bangor- no kidding. I hated to leave. It's a powerful place.

So... about the postcards. They are what they say they are. postcards. They measure
4"x6" and you can pop them in the mail and send them on their merry way with a first class stamp. No kidding. They are made entirely of fiber(fabric) and are considered "fiber art." Thanks for your interest! ~ Nines

Nines is located in Indiana, USA...visit her Praire Quilts blog.