Little Cove Gale, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada

This past week I was fortunate to add on to a business trip to Canada a short visit to the Bruce Peninsula.   I have been to the Bruce Peninsula several times over the years, however, it was mostly visiting as a diver.  At the far northern tip, Tobermory is a very popular destination due to the abundance of shipwrecks and clear water.   I have never had the chance to explore the Peninsula much for photography, so I consulted the expert and long time photo friend in the area, Ethan Meleg.

Bruce Peninsula, courtesy Wikipedia

Ethan generously suggested a number of places to concentrate on.  I figured I had at least two mornings and two afternoons in the time I allotted to be up here.   Well, as with anything else, weather depending.   The weather didn’t want to cooperate with my plans.  This time of year is particularly susceptible to drastic changes around the Great Lakes.  The many shipwrecks around here are the resultant of the famed Gales of November.   Well, I got a glimpse into the Gales of October.   High wind, rain, and gale warnings were all over the local forecasts.  Waves were expected to reach 3 m (12 feet) in Northern Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

I can tolerate a bit of rain.  I think I sat in it for 5-6 hours straight while waiting for bears in Alaska.  But throw in gale force winds and cold, and it tests my resolve to want to do any photography.   So during the rain, I did mostly scouting of the locations to find my way around, calculate hike times and when to leave my campsite to reach spots at twilight should the weather clear.   I also wanted to witness some of the force of the lakes us divers hear so much about.   That resulted in this series of images.

This is a small cove, appropriately named “Little Cove,” on the Georgian Bay side of the peninsula.  The rain was lightening up, so I figured why not for a short hike.   I discovered a bay of clear, cold, turquoise freshwater tossing and turning as if it was in a giant washing machine.   On the far end of the bay was a particular bluff that caught my attention.  Waves were just pounding this rock face, and causing spray to reach far up into the hillside trees.  The bluff itself must have been 10-20m in height (30-50 feet) or more.   These waves were smacking it like a fighter determined to deliver a knock out blow.

This was the only photography I did on this day, simply watching in awe at the power of water and wind.   It brought to mind just what it must have been like to be on a ship during times like this.  The winds this day were only half of what they were in the famous storm of 1913.  It also left no doubt on why so many met their demise.

The rain did let up on the next day, which enabled some other opportunities that I will write about in a future post.