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Nova Scotia’s Beaches – How They Are Diffferent

Nova Scotia, with its over 4100 miles of shoreline, has more than a few beaches.  In fact, the Canadian province has more than 120 of them.

But not all the beaches are “people friendly.”

Nova Scotia’s beaches can be roughly divided into two types: too cold to swim, or warm enough to swim. The beaches on the southern coast as well as tlhose on the bay of Fundy, have proven themselves to be too cold for the average person to swim in. This part of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Fundy Bay, are both under the influence of the cold Labrador Current as it makes its way south, keeping the waters relatively cold.

On the other hand, the Northumberland strait or central section of Nova Scotia, the part of the province that faces Price Edward Island, is under the direct influence of the warm water discharge of the St. Lawrence Rver and Bay., keeping the waters relatively warm.

As a  result, the south shore and Fundy area beaches are great for strolling along the shoreline, either collecting bits of driftwood or sea shells. The sandy beaches found here are usually unsupervised and have few amenities available.  To name such a  beach would be Scots Bay Beach. This cold-area beach in the Bay of Fundy is terrific for those rock collectors among us.This particular beach is noted for its large cache of agates and small cyads. Nearby is Cape Blomidon Provincial Park, with its exposed red clay cliffs and expansive views of the Bay of Fundy. But you cannot find too may swimmers here…the water is too cold! 

Now let’s go to the South Shore. Just outside the town of Bridgewater you will find the popular Rissers Beach. This Nova Scotia beach has a kilometer-long (0.6 mile) stretch of white sand, and a nearby boardwalk for walking through the salt marsh. Because of its popularity, this beach offers plenty of parking and even has a canteen and change houses nearby! Two campgrounds at the nearby provincial park, complete the popularity of this beach. You will find most guests strolling along the beach, or excitedly looking for seashells or driftwood, though. The ocean water is still too cold!

Now for a visit to a beach where you can actually go swimming. And that’s the warmer waters of the Northumberland beaches that are located by the Nothumberlan Strait.

A popular warm-water beach would be Melmerby Beach, or simply “The Merb”. Located about a 20 minute car ride from New Glasgow, it is a  2 km (1.25 mi) supervised sandy beach with a boardwalk.   Though there’s no camping, there is a canteen, showers and picnic tables. This is a highly popular spot, and can get crowded on the weekeds.

This is just a sampling of the varieties of Nova Scotia’s beaches. From the uncrowded, cool water beaches of the Atlantic, to the popular swimming spots of Northumberland Shore, Nova Scotia  has it all.