In August of 2020, Mike Adams of Rothesay, New Brunswick, set out in a kayak with a friend to explore the Musquash Estuary Nature Reserve in New Brunswick. On the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, watch as he describes the origins of mysteries and abandoned ships in Saint John, New Brunswick.
The mighty Musquash River winds through Acadian forest and vast marshes to meet the world’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy at the 2,200-hectare (5,500-acre) Musquash Estuary Nature Reserve. The largest nature reserve in Atlantic Canada managed by the Nature Conservatory of Canada (NCC) is a wildlife sanctuary. At-risk animals like the peregrine falcon, as well as bobcats, moose, deer, and harbour seals, flourish here.
After the American War of Independence, members of the Prince of Wales regiment settled in the Musquash Estuary, where they developed farms and reclaimed most of the land with dykes. A dam had also failed, resulting in a tidal wave that swept through the estuary, destroying several crops.
This magnificent wilderness, only 20 kilometers from Saint John, was once earmarked for construction. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has been leading the reserve since 2001, and it is still growing through land donations and community partnerships: a conservation success story in the making. Through the joint efforts of NCC and our collaborators, NCC hopes to see a total of 4,800 hectares (12,000 acres) of land conserved around the Musquash Estuary.
The Musquash Estuary is available to the public for low-impact events such as scenic walks, historic shipwrecks, and canoe and kayak launches. Musquash Estuary celebrated 10 years as a protected area in New Brunswick in 2016.
About Mike Adams
Mike’s mission is to encourage more diving in the Maritime province of New Brunswick. He also makes historical videos in addition to diving videos. This year, he’ll be documenting aviation crashes in the province of New Brunswick. In this province alone, there are over 300 recorded accidents, and he has teamed up with the Canadian Aviation Historical Society to record the history and stories of the pilots who perished in some of these crashes. Mike has also partnered with the “Hammond River Angling Association” to create a series of videos for them about salmon and the protection of one of our local rivers, the Hammond River.
Mike’s summer 2021 adventures will be accompanied by The Scuba News Canada, which will cover his work in the coming months.