The Mystery of Arctic Sea Ice Arriving in Cape Breton (c/o Dr. Paul)
For years, in late March, the Englishtown Ferry, 10 km from Cabot Shores, was out of service because Arctic sea ice blocked its passage.
And sometimes as you traveled the Cabot Trail, you’d see ice floating along the Cape Breton coast. The coast at Englishtown is along St. Anne’s Bay and going north toward Ingonish along the Atlantic. At Pleasant Bay you’ll see the sea ice floating along the
The Effects of Arctic Sea Ice on Marine Life
Understanding the Impact of Arctic Sea Ice on Coastal Ecosystems
You may have wondered, where did the ice come from?
Year after year, we’d see it, often on the way during the winter around the Cabot Trail. Then, no more ice traveling to St. Ann’s Bay and blocking the Englishtown Ferry for at least 10 years.
Where did the ice come from and why did it stop?
The Journey of Sea Ice (c/o Barbara)
With the wind and the tide and the Labrador Current, the Arctic ice moves south past Newfoundland. From there the ice descends along eastern Cape Breton and until the late 1980s, advancing as far as Halifax Harbor.
Another portion of the ice travels south in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, past western Newfoundland and Cape Breton, right down to the Canso Causeway, which links Cape Breton to mainland Nova Scotia. From the Causeway it can be seen as a white expanse into the Gulf during most winters for 2-3 months
Here, outside my window, emerging from the fog, it appears to have tumbled in big and small slabs overnight into St. Ann’s Bay, just beyond Eaglefeather Beach at Cabot Shores.
