Pic of the Week: June 19th Ride on the River

Welcome to the Pic of the Week. This is the latest tidal bore rafting video from Nova Scotian, Daniel Marshall, a hardcore Shubenacadie River rafter.  Remember Daniel? Last year two of his videos were chosen among the Top Five Tidal Bore Rafting Videos in Nova Scotia. This one is bound to make the shortlist for 2010. The new video (of his June 19th, 2010 ride on the river) contains some great landscape and mud sliding shots; and like all of his productions it is entertaining and well edited. Thank you once again Daniel for a job well done.

Soaring Bald Eagles on the Shubenacadie River

There are few of us who have not been mezmorized by the sight of a bald eagle soaring across a bright blue sky. A symbol of strength and independence in the United States; one of many icons of ‘wilderness Canada; a soaring bald eagle is a common sight on the Shubenacadie River. This majestic hunter, once near extinction in North America has followed many a rafting tour down river in search of the Shubenacadie Tidal Bore.

A Bald Eagle in flight in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. A mature Bald Eagle (such as the one shown here) is dark brown, nearly black, with a white tail and head.

Dark brown, nearly black, with white head and tail, a mature Bald Eagle is a spectacular and powerful bird. Just how powerfully these magnificant birds of prey can attack a victim can be routinely observed in Kings County, Nova Scotia in late winter. Farmers there spread chicken carrion at designated feeding stations in the region. The diving and bombing  manoeuvres of these 400 or so raptors  attract birding enthusiasts from across North America, who attend the Sheffield Mills Eagle Watch every year in late January (or early February). The drive to this small Annapolis Valley community makes a great day trip for guests of Tidal Bore Rafting Park.

Bald eagles can be observed along the shores of the Shubenacadie in a more natural environment and nearly any time of the year. In summer, it is not uncommon for rafters to view several birds and a large nest of twigs and debris on a single rafting trip.  During the winter, the birds are more widespread, especially along coastal areas in the province. The shores of  the Shubenacadie River is one of only a few areas in Nova Scotia where there are large winter concentrations of the birds.

And if you want to see a Bald Eagle up close, real close, The Shubenacadie Wildlife Park is about 20 minutes away. There you can see, photograph and observe a Bald Eagle in all its splendor. The rescued bird is a favourite with hundreds of visitors to the wildlife park every year.

Hundreds of Bald Eagles gather in a farmer’s field during the Sheffield Mills Eagle Watch in Kings County, Nova Scotia. The event is held every year in this small Annapolis Valley community.

Top Five Tidal Bore Rafting Videos

There are probably very few Canadians who have not watched Susan Boyle’s emotional video on You Tube. What is perhaps more interesting, however, is that Canadians watch more videos than many other countries including the United States, France, Britain and Germany. According to a recent comscore survey, 21 million Canadians watched  3.1 billion videos (1.6 billion on You Tube alone) in February, 2009. It would appear that Canadians have a real passion for the medium and it should be no great surprise that many of us are turning to videos for travel and entertainment information about Nova Scotia.

For example, an informal survey of  ‘tidal bore rafting’ videos on You Tube and other websites reveals that the number of videos this year have more than tripled the numbers for 2008 (and there is still a lot of good rafting time left). And the productions, well, they are really quite good! So good in fact we have looked at all of the rafting videos from this and previous years and have selected the Top Five Tidal Bore Rafting Videos in Nova Scotia.

1. Title: Shubenacadie Tidal Bore Rafting – September 21st, 2009 (6.50 minutes) – It is no accident that the first two of our top five choices are videos from Daniel Marshall, an avid tidal bore rafting fan and a Nova Scotian. His You Tube channel reveals several well edited, thoughtful and informative videos of his visits to various Nova Scotia destinations. While many are a little lengthy, they are great to watch and very entertaining. One which deserves a special mention is his filming of  the pounding tidal bore surf hitting the bow of his Zodiac tour boat.  One could feel the roll of the waves,  as his camera, often submerged in muddy water, captured each wave as it broke across the bow.

2. Title: Shubenacadie Tidal Bore Rafting – September 8th, 2009 (6.50 minutes) – In both this and Daniel’s September 21st video one quickly learns that the ‘tidal bore rafting’ experience can be more than just riding the waves. It is fun in the mud of the Shubenacadie River. Daniel’s filming of his friends sliding, falling, rolling and laughing in the dark mud near Maitland, Nova Scotia will bring a smile to your face. After watching this video mud sliding is something you will want to consider with your next tidal bore rafting adventure.

3. Title: Tidal Bore Rafting Bay of Fundy – November 8th, 2007 (3.43 minutes) – While lacking the impact and clarity of some of the other productions, motorcyclist Matt from Waverley, Nova Scotia has produced a first-class video. The music track works well,  the editing is smooth and Matt’s filming of neighbouring Zodiacs climbing wave after wave on the river would have required a steady hand for sure. Matt’s video is the most popular ‘tidal bore rafting’ video on the internet and has received nearly 12,000 views on You Tube.

4. Title: Tidal Bore Rafting, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada – August 20th, 2009 (1.57 minutes) – When you’re watching this video it is not difficult to imagine why wetsuits and a change of clothes are strongly recommended when enjoying a tidal bore rafting adventure on the Shubenacadie! With the river waves pounding over the bow of the Zodiac, the water constantly filling the boat and splashing the faces of passengers, you quickly discover why they are so important on a rafting tour! But it is all good fun and this popular You Tube video is one of the best.

5. Title: Tidal Bore Rafting – August 8th, 2008 (5.48 minutes) – As you might expect, the production of this Hospitality Guide video is the most professional of all the video material considered. There are interviews with rafting staff, customers, drivers and background information has been added, making it much more informative than the other videos. The production falls short, however, in the actual filming of the action on the water. You don’t feel the excitement or magnitude of the waves associated with a rafting adventure. Despite the shortcomings, the video is well done and certainly worthy of a top five designation.

Hospitality Guide Video