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Grand Manan Island
Length: 24.6km
Width: 10.8km
Highest Cliff: 120m
Bird Species: Over 240
Whales: Yes
Dolphins: Yes
Porpoises: Yes
Seals: Yes
Claim to Fame: 90 minutes off the coast of NB in the Bay of Fundy, Grand Manan is one of the best places in the world to go whale watching.
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Whalewatch 2001 Whales spotted: 1 Dolphins spotted: 2 |
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Mulletwatch 2001 Mullets spotted: 1 |
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Top 5 Things We Still Need From Canadian Tire:
1. Sleeping Pad
2. Extension Cord
3. WD-40 for bikes
4. Little Propane Tanks
5. AA Batteries
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Cliford LeBlanc on Dulse: "Dry? Can't do it. Wet? I can do it." Email Cliford, and tell him you saw him here! |
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Livin' La Vida Dulse
Aug 23 - If it hadn't been for that stop in Grand Falls (incidentally, not so grand
due to lack of rain), we never would have found out about this place. We were picking up
free pamphlets at the tourist centre for firestarting material, when we were smacked in the
face with our next stop.
A fifteen minute drive and a ninety minute ferry ride later, we were in a tropical island
paradise. Okay, a temperate island paradise. It's the best you can get in New Brunswick.
Thanks to the handy brochure, we made a bee-line for the Hole-In-The-Wall Campground. Its
namesake is from a natural rock formation that looks like a wall with a hole in it (you'll
get a photo tomorrow). We were escorted to our campsite by Michael and his 4 wheeler, since
we honestly couldn't have found it ourselves, not even with a map. Once we had set up camp,
we manoueuoeuvered our way back to the main lodge and got the play by play from Michael on
what to do in Grand Manan. Michael? Very cool cat.
Night time was pretty low key in terms of action... We headed up to the main lodge to plug
in the laptop, just to get a bit of quiet work done and use the washing machine. Little did
we know that the Hole In The Wall main lodge is the island's metaphorical water cooler.
We must have spent about three house talking to folks coming in and out, and we've got a good
chunk of our day planned for tomorrow. We're going dulsing!
Here to tell you more about dulse is Larry Marshall. Larry?
Meet Larry Marshall : Dulse Harvester, 5yrs.
What is Dulse? - Dulse is more of a sea vegetable than a sea weed. Its a chocolate brown colour, it's usually around 6 to 8 inches long, but if you get a good patch it can get up to 12 inches or longer.
What does a dulse harvester do? - At about 8:30 in the morning, when the tide is lowest, I head down to Dark Harbour, where you'll see all the dorries heading out over the sea wall. I head up to a special place I know and pick until about 10:30. Then, you lay all your dulse out flat to dry. It's the wind that dries it more than the sun. A NW wind is best. The East wind is too damp. Once it's dry, roll it up and take it to be weighed. You figure 5 lbs wet is about 1 lb dry, and you can get about $4.00/lb for it. A hard worker like me can pull in $600 a day!
What is the best way to eat it? - Most people around here like it nice and crispy because it's got a real salty flavour to it. It's like eating a bag of chips. Actually, if you throw it in the microwave for no more than 20 seconds, you'll swear you're eating bacon. The US is our biggest market, but they don't like it crispy; they like it rubbery. The salt is stronger when it's slack. It's definitely an acquired taste.
Why would you eat it? - Actually, it's got lots of iron and minerals, and it's a know cancer fighter. Some doctors who know about it tell their patients about it. Maine coast sea vegetables are one of the biggest buyers, and they make tasty health foods from it.
Any tips to aspiring dulse harvesters? - "Use both your hands, and don't lift your head. Just keep on pickin'." That's what Leroy Flagg told me when I started, and around here they call him the King of Dulse.
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From the mainland to Grand Manan |
From the lodge to the campsite |
From the campsite to the lighthouse |
From the lighthouse to the campsite |
more photos in the archive... |
We've got mail...
I am the guy you talked to on the ferry out to Grand Manan. I pointed out
the whale to Aimee on the final leg of the trip into the Harbor. I looked
at your Web-site today, and I am thoroughly delighted. Keep up the good work
and have a very good trip.
- Christos, Somewhere in Maine
Drop us a note!
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Today's Weather: Fog's Cleared!
Time talking to Larry: | 3.0hrs |
Sleeping Quarters |
Hole In The Wall
Site # 34 - Cliff Edge. I had to throw Mel into 4WD to get to our campsite. It's on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean on the North side of the island. They say you can hear the whales at night... Cost: $23.00
grandmanancamping.com |
Bkfast:
| Campground Oak Bay |
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Contents: | Nesquik Cereal again |
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Cost: | Same Box |
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Lunch:
| Sailor Fin Black Harbour, NB |
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K's Order: | Haddock & Chips Coffee |
A's Order: | Tomato Noodle Soup Coffee |
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Cost: | $14.79 |
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Dinner:
| Campground Grand Manan, NB |
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Contents: | Dulse from Larry Marshall. Find out more about dulse above! |
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Cost: | Free! |
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