Spring by the sea

The spring lobster fishery has begun on parts of Prince Edward Island and another area opens today. My husband and I like to visit Malpeque prior to the season opening to see the activity around the wharf after a quiet winter. 

This week, all of the boats are ready to go. The traps have the buoys attached and will be baited before loading.

This past week we had our first meal of crab this season. Crab and lobster are wonderful treats from the sea and we look forward to our first lobster for Mother’s Day.

Meanwhile, at Malpeque, we always watch for herons and one was nearby feeding in the marsh.

In the river nearby, cormorants took flight and the water sparkled around them.

We walked the beach at Brander’s Pond one day too. It was another beautiful day but cold. Winter clothes are still in use since even without any wind, the air is still frigid. Meanwhile, the sea stack at Brander’s survived another winter and the sea sparkled in the April sun.

From the boardwalk this week, it was easy to see the Confederation Bridge in the distance. 

Along the Rotary Trail, the path disappears in the distance and is intriguing enough to keep us going.

We look forward to new adventures this week. Maybe it will be warm enough to have our first picnic for this year.

Along the way in 2022

As we travel around the Prince Edward Island, there are always interesting things or curiosities which we see along the way. 

There is an area of the boardwalk which I call Hobbit House. It gets a lot of animal activity when birdseed or peanuts are left there. Hobbits visit when people leave for the day.

Recently our travels took us to the beach at Yankee Hill. Someone in the area put this sign up by the parking lot. 

There wasn’t much there that day but beach toys for kids are left there often. 

Some time later, the evening news reported about the items left at the sign having been stolen. My wish is that life never gets so newsworthy on this gentle island that such stories don’t make the evening news.

This fishing shack at Malpeque has an message which brings a smile to many.

In keeping with the fishing theme, someone decided to reuse fishing buoys found on the beach at Brander’s Pond. It is a good way to keep the stray buoys from littering the ocean or the beach.

This lone Canada Goose enjoyed his time among the gulls and swimming in the ocean with a cormorant. He was an unusual sight, the first goose we’ve ever seen on the beach. 

At French River a kayaker returned to shore after a paddle through the channel. It must be nice to see the shoreline from a different perspective and see cormorants close-up. 

My husband and I are planning to take our daughter’s kayak for a spin after tourist season when the West River area is less crowded. I miss riding my bicycle and the kayak would be something different to experience. It was my husband’s idea and he is not a fan of the water, but is eager to try it. You can bet there will be life jackets involved.

 

Back to the sea

Fishers are back at sea again since the lobster season opened earlier this week on Prince Edward Island.

Prior to the start of the season, boats are returned to the water, traps and other gear readied. In addition, dredging of the waterways occurs since the sand around the island shifts over the winter and can pose a hazard to the boats.

At Seacow Pond on the northwest corner of the island, this was the scene last week as boats and gear were prepared for the season. 

Boats lined the pond and along the wharf, by each boat, its gear was piled, ready for loading on the big day.

It was interesting to be close enough to see the weight in each trap, which causes it to sink in the water. 

The buoy which is the marker for each trap has a weight as well which keeps the buoy upright in the water. The weights on PEI are concrete, made by the fishers.

On Setting Day, the opening of the season, fishers load the gear and head out to the fishing ground as their families gather along the shoreline to wish them a safe and successful season.

Last week in a nearby inlet, we saw a dredger which was pulled ashore,

allowing us to see the cutter head which bores into the seabed. 

The sand is sucked through the dredger and ejected away from the shipping channel. With the weather co-operating, the dredging done and gear and boats ready, Setting Day was Tuesday.

That day on the northwest coast, we had our picnic lunch in the yard of Christ Church at Kildare Capes, a peaceful setting along the coastline. There is a stained glass window at the back of the church with the words, “Peace be still,” whilst Jesus stands in a boat amid stormy seas. It is a reminder of the danger of working at sea and the faith of many people on the island. 

Meanwhile, as is the tradition with many island families, we are having our first lobster of the season for Mother’s Day this Sunday. Even the children enjoy a meal of lobster. It is a part of island culture which our family enjoys.

The wharf in winter

The boats are long gone from this place. What remains is rooted here, standing against the elements, totally unprotected. It is silent, except for the wind which whistles around the old fishing shacks.

I pull up my hood as I look around, thinking if I stayed a minute too long I’d become an icy statue permanently affixed to the wharf.

Conway Narrows on the northwest shore of Prince Edward Island is frozen and Milligan’s Wharf, a protected area for recreational and commercial boats, is encased in ice. 

Looking out to sea, the sand bar which parallels the shore is barely visible, itself entombed in ice and snow.

Nearby, the buoys which mark the channel for the safe passage of boats are piled together, attached to their concrete anchors. They add a splash of colour to the white and grey as they wait for the return of the boats and warmer weather.

Walking around the fishing shacks I notice that winter blue, the colour of the overcast sky so common this time of year. The muted light creates a mid morning twilight. 

Tire marks in the snow proceed onto the ice. Someone chanced a vehicle breaking into the icy depths. 

While this cold has probably thickened the ice enough to support a vehicle, I wouldn’t take a chance. How about you?

Preparation

Two weeks ago, in Malpeque and Darnley Basin on the north shore of Prince Edward Island, lobster traps were everywhere. The season was more than a month away.

The fishing shacks were full of traps. 

 

Wharfs were piled high too. 

 

Some traps rested against the shacks.

 

The basin was ice covered.

 

Last week, at Lot 1 on the north west tip of the island, the scene was different, as preparation for the season has ramped up. Several boats, high and dry since last fall, were being pulled to the sea. 

 

Flat bed trailers loaded with lobster traps were on their way to the wharf.

 

Meanwhile, on the wharf around Seacow Pond Harbour, some traps were ready for the season. 

 

The colours of the buoys, visible from the road, prompted us to stop and take in the scene. 

 

Dredging at the entrance to the harbour will ensure safe passage of the boats for the season. 

 

The first boats were back in the water.

 

Preparation is well under way now.