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Geography
Notre Dame Bay is one of North America's best kept secrets. It exhorts the mariner to "explore me, adore me, get to know every part of me." Located on Newfoundland's northeast coast, it ranges between latitude 49 degrees 45 minutes and longitude 55 degrees and boasts many hundred of miles of captivating coastline.
There are literally hundreds of inlets that comprise Notre Dame Bay, a huge bay which extends from Cape St. John in the northwest to Cape Freels in the southeast extremity of the bay, thus excluding the Straight Shore. It is approximately 46 miles from Farewell Head to Cape St. John. Several of the inlets in the bay are fairly large bays within their own right. An analysis
of Chart#4520 reveals that there are bays within bays that make up Notre Dame Bay. In this list of bays are Green Bay, Halls Bay, Badger Bay, Seal Bay and the sailor's dream, the Bay of Exploits. In addition to bays, there are also secluded coves and arms that offer spectacular scenery and superb shelter. Complementing the tremendous array of
bays and coves are a maze of forested islands offering majestic vistas, hiking adventures and quality anchorages.
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Brief History
Historians claim that one of the first visitors to the bay was the Portuguese explorer, Corte-Real who named the bay "Baia Verde", meaning Green Bay. The French explorer, Jacques Cartier visited Fogo while navigating the bay in 1534. Since then, for over two hundred years, the descendents of the original French, English and Irish
migratory fishermen have left an indelible mark on Notre Dame Bay. This is most noticeable in the array of unique names primarily of English and French origin. Early settlers and explorers were attracted by the abundance of northern cod, numerous salmon rivers, huge stands of pine, fir and spruce, as well as fur bearing animals for trapping. Moreover, in due course, mining
magnates were drawn to areas around the bay which exhibited promising geological features.
Those early settlers and explorers encountered numerous native peoples. The Beothuck Indians whose favorite bay was Notre Dame Bay, gained access to the caribou herds of the interior via the mighty Exploits River. Fortunately for posterity, there is a wealth of scholarly information about this proud tribe of natives who are now extinct. Signs of their habitation and vestiges
of relics can still be found in many areas of Notre Dame Bay. Indeed, other sites in the bay have revealed evidence of aboriginal habitation that predates the Beothuck era.
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