Northumberland Strait
|
|
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern North America. It separates the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island from the mainland provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The western boundary of the strait is delineated by a line running between North Cape, Prince Edward Island and Point Escuminac, New Brunswick while the eastern boundary is delineated by a line running between East Point, Prince Edward Island and Chéticamp, Nova Scotia.
The strait's shallow depths lend to warm water temperatures in summer months, with some areas reaching 25º C. Consequently the strait is reportedly home to the warmest ocean water temperatures in Canada, and some of the warmest ocean water temperatures on the Atlantic coast north of Virginia. During the winter months between December and April, sea ice covers the entire strait and Gulf of St. Lawrence.
While the shores of Cape Breton Island and eastern peninsular Nova Scotia are dominated by granite, sedimentary rocks along the central and western parts of the strait, as well as the entire south shore of Prince Edward Island, consist of sandstone, lending to beautiful sandy beaches with minimal coastal development. The largest island in the strait is Pictou Island.
Major communities on the strait include the cities of Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island as well as the towns of Souris, Prince Edward Island, Pictou, Nova Scotia, and Shediac, New Brunswick.
A ferry service crosses the 23 kilometre (14 mile) wide eastern part of the strait between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia.
The narrowest part of the strait, the 13 kilometre (8 mile) wide Abegweit Passage in the western part of the strait between Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island and Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick.
The strait hosts two seasonal ferry services: Northumberland Ferries Limited operates a passenger/vehicle service between Caribou, Nova Scotia and Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, a separate passenger-only ferry service also operates from Caribou to Pictou Island.
Both services are located at the eastern end of the strait, however until May 31, 1997, one of Canada's busiest ferry services was operated by Marine Atlantic across Abegweit Passage. This service has been replaced by the Confederation Bridge.
External link
- Natural History of Nova Scotia - Northumberland Strait (Nova Scotia Museum) (http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/nhns2/900/914.htm)