The boat tour was 2 1/2 hours of beautiful scenery and we had the most informative, entertaining, and funny tour guides ever.  They were born in Woody Point on the bay and their love for the area was so evident. The guides told us  about the geology of Gros Morne Park and why it is called the “Galapos of Geology”, explained how beaches are formed, what the layers of rock are and so on.  They knew all about sea life in the bay and their feeding habits and needs; stopped when someone saw whales and could tell by their behavior how many times they would come up and if they were diving deep.  The guides told us how moose have become a major problem in Newfoundland and actually are not native to the province.  There were four introduced in 1904 (actually there were two in the late 1880’s but they didn’t reproduce) that has exploded into a population of 130,000.  There are 5,000 in the park and they eat all the new saplings and vegetation causing acres and acres to not regenerate that growth.  It has come to the point where something must be done.

  This lighthouse is at Woody Point.  The tour took us past the mouth of the bay and into what is technically the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  The waves were fun (actually swells) and the guide said the day was the nicest so far this year.

The type of boat we were on (a catamaran?) allowed the captain to take us very close to shore to point out rocks, waterfalls, and even a baby eagle (next blog post).

Huge Hint:  Get in line early and sit on the right side of the boat because the tour goes down the right side of the bay until the end and then back up the other side.  Some people stand on the seats and generally don’t care whether your view is obstructed or not.

I think the two guides where either brothers or had grown up together in Woody Point.  Both were so funny and one of the brothers sang a Newfoundland folk song for us. He has a very good voice. There were other songs played that sounded like a cross between Irish folk music and John Denver.  Steve remembers that the guides also have a band.  CD’s of their music can be purchased.

  Looks who’s “Sitting On The Dock of The Bay” waiting for us. Tulip, with her prime parking spot.