St. Anthony's

Seen near St. Anthony's, Newfoundland

"I love this country so much, it's so beautiful!" Riley bounced a few times on his toes as he declared his love for Canada. I had to admit - St. Anthony's, Newfoundland, was a particularly impressive spot. From the bow of R/V Atlantis, we could see limestone cliffs rising from the sea. A lighthouse perched atop the rocks warned vessels to keep their distance. Beside the lighthouse was a small cluster of houses nestled in a valley. With the sun shining on a bright blue sea, the scene looked like a sleepy storybook fishing village. Patches of snow rested on some hillcrests, even though it was July. I imagined the residents of St. Anthony's hiking to the tops of those hills each weekend - what a privilege that must be. 

Many of the participants aboard Atlantis have memories of St. Anthony's. Two years ago, when the Royal Canadian Geographic Society (RCGS) launched an expedition to find Quest with side-scan sonar, they made an unscheduled stop in St. Anthony's for a winch repair. As the story goes, a local Newfoundlander named Harvey (no last name required) showed up in his truck at midnight to make the repair. Our RCGS friends have oft quoted Harvey while we've been together on Atlantis - he was apparently quite the character. While he worked on the winch, some of the RCGS participants kissed the pier in an appeal to St. Anthony, the patron saint of finding things. Just a few hours later, Quest appeared on the sonar. We have heard this story relayed numerous times, in tones ranging from melodrama to fond memory. 

Seen near St. Anthony's, Newfoundland

When Atlantis stopped outside of St. Anthony's, it was for a very different purpose: picking up the last member of the science party. While many of us aboard enjoyed the sun and the view, a small speedboat emerged from a cove and began racing toward the ship. All too quickly, the passenger was aboard, and Atlantis turned to leave. 

One of my favorite parts of research is seeing new parts of the world. Newfoundland was a new one for me - I've never been this far north in the western Atlantic. The rocky shores, the small towns, the maritime culture and shipwreck-dotted seafloor - I would love to come back here someday.