Burnt Island

Climate
The climate around Burnt Island can be categorized as cool combined with abundant precipitation. This has caused frequent frost activity creating the sorted stone circles (frost polygons) that are seen on the limestone barrens areas. During the winter months much of the island is often devoid of snow owing to the open, exposed nature of the site and the presence of strong winds. Snow will accumulate in depressions, ravines and tuckamore and can persist throughout much of the spring and early summer.

The constant winds tend to restrict plant growth and give the appearance that plants and botantists are hugging the ground, and gnarling and flagging of trees are common and further illustrate the effect of wind on this area.

The rocks that formed Burnt Island are mainly limestone that was laid down in a past warm shallow ocean. Burnt Island is composed of limestone that is 98.4% calcium carbonate and is dated at roughly 480 - 470 million years old (geological time scale: early to late Ordovician Period). The limestone was thrust up over the top of the adjacent sandstone and shale and was then submerged for about 10 thousand years by glaciation. Burnt Island then re-emerged following the de-glaciation and glacial rebound.

Caves
On the northwest side of Burnt Island, about a 15 minute walk south of the main parking lot, is a large sea cave called the Whale Cave - locally called the "Big Oven". This is a very large and impressive sea cave that is composed of dark grey limestone. This cave may have been formed by a combination of chemical weathering and wave erosion, as strong west winds are common in most months, so the west side of the island is impacted by high wave action. It may well be the largest sea cave in the province, even in North America.

Slightly to the northeast of the main ecological reserve parking lot is another smaller sea cave called the " Little Oven". The cliffs over the Little Oven are white limestone. This cave is best viewed when one is visiting the marine terraces and the cannon holes.

Marine Terraces
Walking North from the parking area, past the area of the Little Oven, you will notice marine terraces with sharply defined grey limestone cliff faces. These terraces are flat areas above present sea level which indicate that the ocean was once at a much higher elevation. These were formed when Burnt Island slowly rose from the melting of glacial ice that departed about 11 thousand years ago. If there were static periods of time in this rebound then a wave-cut platform might have been formed. As the land continued to rebound, the wave-cut platform would then constitute a flat area above sea level forming a marine terrace. These terraces may have formed within the last 9 thousand years.

Fossils
Fossils are also found in the various limestones at the tip of Burnt Cape. These are mainly gastropods (with round or conically-spiralled shells), trilobites and cephalopods (squid-like). Further information on fossils may be found at http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/mines&en/geosurvey/education/fossils.stm.

Cannon Holes
To access the lower coastal marine terrace (beach), follow the northwest path to just beyond the cliff face and then carefully climb down the rocks onto the lower marine terrace that forms the flat limestone beach. The cannon holes are located in the vertical cliff wall. They are just above the present sea level and represent small exhumed caves that are probably the result of chemical weathering of the limestone. The cannon holes can be entered, but one has to cross a large tide pool that can vary in depth with the tides and then 'scramble' up a usually wet slimy vertical wall to get into the cannon holes. Caution is advised!

Caplin Cove
Walking further to the North along the coast towards the tip of Burnt Cape are areas of fossils (mainly gastropods and cephalopods) and marine weathering features. The marine karst includes strongly pitted rock surfaces probably formed from the action of chemical weathering, shoreline erosion, and the effects of abrasion by rocks swirled around in the holes by wave action.

Around the tip Burnt Cape on the northeast side is Capelin Cove with a small beach. Near Capelin Cove is Capelin Gulch which has a small cave with an open chimney at the top. Local history records that this area was once a capelin spawning beach. Continuing further south the coastline starts to flatten out into limestone beaches.

American Man
The two highest points are located on the northern and southern ends of the Island. The high point at the northern end is represented by a small cairn located near the highest point of the marine terraces. The southern highest point is referred to as the "American Man" and is located about 3/4 of the way along the middle of the island. The origin of "American Man" is a quite interesting folklore. As told by Ross Taylor, resident of Raleigh, some time in the past a boat went ashore on the back of the Burnt Island. A man from the boat apparently walked up to the top of the cape and waved a lantern around to signal the people. As it was an American standing on this point, it was called the "American Man" (source: Cyril Taylor, resident of Raleigh).

Falaise Point
At the southwest side is a boundary (a former thrust fault) between sandstone/shale and limestone. This is best seen at Falaise Point (Fr. falaise = cliff) and Isthmus Point where it continues into the next cove. Fossils (graptolites) have been recorded from the rocks at this site. Graptolites are small leaf-like fossil invertebrates that may be related to other worm-like invertebrates called hemichordates. The shoreline continuing northwest is mainly rocky coves sometimes covered with crowberry lawns.

Burnt cape Guides
While all of the features mentioned above can be seen in a leisurely walking tour of Burnt Island, it would be better and less time consuming for the visitor to sign-up for the guided tour of the Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve. Experienced local guides provide a detailed walking tour of the reserve and can easily and quickly show visitors the many features of the area. If you are there at the right time of the year you may be able to see icebergs, bergy bits, seals (Harp Seal), porpoise (Harbour Porpoise) and whales (Humpback and Minke), in addition to the many birds that inhabit or frequent the area. For more interesting information on ice bergs visit http://www.icebergfinder.com/ and http://www.wordplay.com/tourism/icebergs/ .

Walking Trails
In 2001 the authors watched a pod of about 100 killer whales casually swimming along the shore between Falaise Point and Whale Cove. Be sure to ask the guides about whale and bird sightings and fossils during your guided tour of the ecological reserve.

In addition to the Burnt Cape area there is also a delightful walking trail along the coastal headlands from Cape Onion to Ha Ha Point. Ha Ha Point overlooks the Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve. To get to Cape Onion, drive back from Raleigh to Highway 437, turn left, and then continue driving to the end of the road at Onion Cove. Walk left along the beach to the right of Adam's House (bed and breakfast) until you see the start of the trail going up to the coastal headland at Cape Onion. The first part of the trail is steep, but when you reach the top the walking is easy and the views are spectacular. Keep in mind that this will be a long hike (4.5 km one-way) if you intend to complete a round trip from Cape Onion to Ha Ha Point. The hike will be even longer if you go from Ha Ha Point into Raleigh.