Our luck with the weather held for another day, and we woke at Woody Point to bright sunshine and the promise of temperatures in the mid-70s. An intrepid dozen or so guests departed with two naturalists for a strenuous hike to the top of the Tablelands while the rest boarded buses for a drive to the top followed by a short hike with a Parks Canada ranger and, of course, some Lindblad naturalists. The morning’s centerpiece was the mantle section of the Bay of Islands ophiolite complex, a cross-section through a mid-oceanic spreading ridge now thrust up onto the continent where it can be observed. The rocks have undergone metamorphic changes, converting their original olivine to serpentine with a distinctive surface texture. This process releases trace heavy metals in the rocks, which render the soils toxic to most plant life apart from carnivorous Newfoundland pitcher plants, the provincial plant of Newfoundland and Labrador. During lunch, the ship repositioned across the bay to Norris Point for afternoon activities. Half the group visited the Bonne Bay Aquarium, affiliated with Memorial University in St. John’s, while others took a short bus ride to Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 04 Sep 2022
Gros Morne National Park , 9/4/2022, National Geographic Explorer
- Aboard the National Geographic Explorer
- Canada
The Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland
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