That Far Smarter Bay

Ray Guy (one of many Placentia Baymen of deserved renown) always referred to Placentia as 'that far greater bay' --- but SmartBay.ca strives to make sure it's that far smarter bay, too.

SmartBay.ca is an information hub for Placentia Bay, right from St. Bride's up to Swift Current and down again to St. Lawrence.

The information available is current and diverse. It has extensive community profiles with exhaustive demographic information. It also has information on shipping, ocean sciences, industrial sites, local committees, and so forth.

For example, buoys are linked to the website and automatically report to it. So, I know that at 10:43 this morning, Maximum Wave Height off Placentia was 3.6 m (11.8 ft), among many other things.

It is sure to be an invaluable tool for anyone active in Placentia Bay, regardless of their field --- but surely its greatest strength is its networking potential.

Bald Eagles in Placentia Bay

The fact that Placentia Bay has one of the highest concentrations of Bald Eagles in North America comes as no surprise to anyone who's lived in this area. They're a common enough sight for anyone who rambles around this bay.

A few years ago, National Geographic did a story on bald eagles, and, in addition to Alaska, they talked of Placentia Bay as an eagle stronghold.

They even dispatched a photographer here; he spent 10 days camped out on a beach (sadly, the article doesn't say which) during the caplin scull, taking photos. His field notes are available to read on National Geographic's website (click the link).

Also, the Peregrine Foundation has
archived this article on their website, all about the eagles of Placentia Bay. It says that only 5% of the eagles that have been tagged in Placentia Bay have ever shown up at feeding stations elsewhere. This is a strong indication that the population is year-round, not migratory.

Just to prove the point, here are some amazing photos that were recently forwarded to the blog by local artist Christopher Newhook. As always, click on an image to view a larger version.

Here's what he has to say about them:

Took a drive up to Point Verde Beach (near Glenn's Cove) before Christmas and stumbled upon a flock of eagles, apparently feeding upon something on the beach. There were a total of 6 in the area but I could not get them all in one shot. The best I could do was 5.

Rushoon (courtesy Dark Horse NF & Lab blog)

While the main focus of this blog are the communities from Ship Harbour to Branch (perhaps also Long Harbour and the northern reaches of St. Mary's Bay?), we're always happy to consider Placentia Bay at large. Thus, we were more than happy to receive an email from the maintainer of Dark Horse Newfoundland and Labrador, who has written an informative and enjoyable 'snapshot' of the Placentia Bay community of Rushoon.

First settled around 1830 by a couple of fishermen from England, it gradually grew in size. By 1921 the population was 130, and swelled to 232 by 1945, a good reflection of healthy fish stocks, and source of reliable work.

You can read the whole thing here.