On Wednesday Alison, Peter, Stan and I paddled around Sound and Woody Islands in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. We were lucky to encounter two caribou. Kayaks, being so stealthy, are the perfect vessels to view wildlife unobtrusively.This is the same animal that I photographed and posted yesterday. I zoomed in to get this picture as the caribou stopped to look back at Alison and Stan who were sitting in their kayaks, maybe as curious about them as we were about her. The fact that she ambled away and stopped to look back assured us that we didn't stress her with out presence.
After we had our dip at Rattling Brook falls Peter said we should handrail and be quiet because there was a good chance we'd see a caribou. He was right. As I paddled along this stretch of shoreline something stirred in my perpheral vision, I looked up and couldn't believe my eyes. A bit of fumbling for my camera and I managed a few shots. The shade here combined with the bright sunlight confusing the digital camera makes it difficult to see the caribou but the stag is there to see if you enlarge the picture. I guess its proof that the caribou's camouflage is pretty effective.
Ushakatiku (superscript u at the end)is the Innu term for 'place where there is always caribou' [ushak ='where there is always' + atiku = 'caribou'] The stretch of coastline between Rattling Brook falls and Bob Spirer Cove in Placentia Bay is ushakatiku. Peter A.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very apt name for this coast Peter because I was there only this once and saw two. Now, if I can just memorize that name. These were the best pictures I got of both caribou.
ReplyDeleteTony :-)