Dear Paolo (and any other shellers headed for my little corner of paradise!);
        Be prepared to rent a wetsuit if you want to do any snorkeling or
diving - for the most part, we are ***NOT*** noted for warm water,
except for the Northumberand Straight, between the mainland and the home
of Anne of Green Gables, revered by zillions of Japaneese tourists every
summer, Prince Edward Island.//  That said, there are some fine
collecting spots with a good variety of rocky headlands, quiet
back-bays, salt marshes, tidal pools and beaches which yield about 100
spp in total for intertidal and subtidal collecting in the area.  The
Minas Basin, which is the inner part of the famed, fabled Bay of Fundy,
hosts the highest tides on the planet - up to 17m (that's 56 feet for
anyone still using the Olde British system of measurements....), and
there is one spot where in the springtime you can even collect Buccinum
undatum and Epitonium greenlandicum!
        Haven't got any time at the moment, but when you come, look me up (902
- 876 - 2241) and i'll be glad to take you to some local collecting
areas and tell you about others, as well as recommending the best local
sights!  Be aware that there is ONLY good collecting for a few days at
full or new moon - so if at all possible, try to time your visit to Nova
Scotia to coincide with these days. The  tide site to use is
http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/sites_othernorth.html - the good  tides
are around June 22, July 24 and Aug, 21 - the August tides are the best,
going down to -0.5m!

Almost summer in New Scotland: crept up to 20 C today!
-Ross.


"Paolo G. Albano" <[log in to unmask]> Wrote:
>
> Dear Friends,
> I am a young collector mainly of mediterranean shells.  I especially enjoy microshells and sorting shellgrit samples. I am also a scuba diver. I am planning for next summer a trip to eastern Canada, from Montreal  to Atlantic Provinces. It will not be a malacological trip, I'll be visiting many inland natural parks, but I'll certainly go on the seaside sometime and I am wondering if and what shells may be found in the area.  heard there is a great tide excursion, so I guess a wide intertidal area to search in. Can any of you give me some more information about shelling or shellers in the area? One of my main questions is about water temperature: does it permit snorkelling, maybe with a scuba suit on? Thanks a lot and happy shelling,
> Paolo
>
> Paolo Giulio ALBANO
> Bologna, ITALY
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]