Paddling LaHave

August-September 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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Story, Michelle Wiebe
Photos, Jim Wiebe

We were a group of seven (three couples and our guide, Joe) on an early season kayaking trip the LaHave Islands, Nova Scotia. We had chosen this area on Joe’s advice for its sheltered options suitable for the beginner paddlers in our group, and started that morning under sunny skies and a light breeze.

The LaHave’s twenty islands cover about 100 square kilometers. Deserted beaches, open ocean, tight channels, expansive bays and wilderness can all be found, interspersed with the colorful buildings that are the signature of Maritime settlements.

We began by following the mainland shore, weaving in and around the rocks and islands of the Camp Islands so the rookies could get used to paddling.

It was as Joe had promised. Not only was the water sheltered but much of it was shallow—less than three meters. We gently slid above small shoals and admired the various forms of sea plants wafting under the surface. An osprey circled overhead, clutching a fish in its claws.

We briefly returned to habitation. Villages have a different feel when viewed from the water. We saw million-dollar homes and falling down fish shacks, and much between the two.

“This is where the old wooden schooners would ride out hurricane season,” Joe told us as we paddled into the tight but protected space of Sperry Cove. “They could only get in on a high tide.” We looked over the bay and imagined the forest of tall-ship masts in times past.

“See that red building over on Bush Island?” Joe asked, pointing. “That’s the old post office. Once a week the mailman from there would row round the islands to do his deliveries. He must have been happy when he got an engine for his boat.”

Joe was keen to share his knowledge with us—history, geology and botany. He always seemed to have a story. He also knew the best places to pull out of the water. We ate lunch at one of those wonderful spots. It was a small crescent beach guarded by an attractive rock outcrop. We sat in the sun and watched a lobster fisherman pull traps.

This was our introduction to the LaHave Islands and we were fascinated. They lie about 100 km down the ‘South Shore’ from Halifax, at the mouth of the LaHave River. The Islands have a long history. It was at Cape LaHave that Samuel de Champlain first landed in 1604. After mapping the area in detail, Champlain continued on to Port Royal where he established the first long-term European settlement in Canada.

The LaHave Islands were one of the earliest fishing bases in Nova Scotia. Fishing, processing and even boat building were very important here. Now as you paddle, it’s rare to see even a minnow in these waters. Yet, at fishing’s peak, the local processing plants were busy unloading the catch from hundreds of boats.

With such a long history of settlement it seems surprising that the bridge connecting Bush and Bell Islands was built only in 1978. From this bridge, the tall spire of the bright orange LaHave Island Marine Museum is a prominent feature. For 60 years this building was the United Church for the islands. As the only off-island access to the church was by boat, services were timed to coincide with the tides.

On our next trip we left from the boat ramp at the Eastern edge of Bush Island, paddling on glassy, grey water into a gentle fog.

Two short crossings took us quickly to Moshers Island—the second largest island in the group. A few summer cabins (or ‘camps’ as they are known in Nova Scotia) were scattered along the shoreline.

We continued paddling till we arrived at Moshers Head (the easternmost point on the LaHave Islands), where a small beach summons paddlers to land and explore. To the right, a trail leads to a small summertime farm. Sheep and goats are taken to the island each spring by barge. Salt Rock Farm is known for its remarkable location and its yogurt, cheeses and jams. Sometimes a visit to the farm may also yield fresh produce.

A lighthouse is located next to the farm, on a high grassy bluff which makes wandering easy and reveals long views over the surrounding water. The lighthouse still shines, and the foghorn still wails, but the homes that were part of this complex now sit abandoned, white paint peeling.

The eastern shores of Mosher and Cape La Have Islands are both exposed to ocean swells. We were lucky and met only a two- foot swell, but the reflected waves from the steep rocky shoreline would likely have made beginners nervous.

Finding a campsite in the area is complicated by the private ownership of some of the land on many of the islands. Cape LaHave Island, however, is public land. This is the largest island in the group and has several long sandy beaches, some of them quite exposed. They can vary from fabulous to furious depending on the weather.

We paddled into Cape Bay, a large protected bay on the north of Cape LaHave Island, intending to hike over the dunes and visit the kilometer-long surf beach on Bantam Bay.

“How much water have you got over there?” Jim asked me as he looked down from his boat at the rich, green eelgrass.

I stuck in my paddle, “Two feet probably,” I replied. The sway of the grass told the tale of a falling tide. We had been warned that at low tide the last part of the bay becomes an impassable mucky meadow. We turned our kayaks around. Bantam Bay would have to wait for another day.

© Michelle Wiebe is a freelancer writer. She and her photographer husband Jim are currently exploring the beauties of Nova Scotia.