Chéticamp River Mouth

This view of the mouth of the Chéticamp River shows the point where its waters enter the Gulf of St Lawrence. At the right, one can see the Pillar Rocks in the far distance; from this angle, it almost looks as if they were connected to the land, but they are not. Behind them one can see a bit of Presqu'Île (it is much more spectacular from further down the beach towards Petit-Étang). The Cabot Trail runs along the top of the ridge above the cliffs at the right; the look-off from which the previous photo was taken is found there at the far right of the photo.

This perfect day was warm and obviously sunny, but the gentle breeze from the Gulf kept me very comfortable. The gorgeous blue sky reflects both on the Gulf and in the mouth of the river, whose surface is perturbed by the strong currents that run through this egress and out into the Gulf. I found it difficult to gauge the depth of the river here; while one could see bottom in the area immediately adjacent to the beach, further out into the river one could not, in part, I think, because the strong and swift currents interfered.

The character of the Petit-Étang beach can be better determined from this close-up view. Waves and wind have pushed the gravel up into a pile nearly a metre (yard) high above and close to the water and it is fairly loose near the water’s edge. Further inland, the gravel is better mixed with sand, making for a more stable surface. Cobblestones, such as those seen here, are found at various places along the beach, but not everywhere.