Its scenery embraces the dramatic transition from the sea edge to the towering rock walls of deep, landlocked fjords, to the arctic alpine of the Long Range Mountains. Its outstanding geological features rank it among the most significant natural areas in the world and northern species like Arctic hare, woodland caribou, rock ptarmigan, alpine campion, and diapensia exist here. The rich marine life of the Strait of Belle Isle, which separates northern Newfoundland from Labrador, attracted human settlement for more than 7,500 years commencing with the Maritime Archaic Indians. Vikings arrived at L'Anse aux Meadows over 1000 years ago. They encountered towering icebergs that drifted south from Greenland and hunted whales, seals, and seabirds.
Historians believe conflicts with aboriginals eventually led to the demise of their settlement.
It was over 500 years later before Europeans came to exploit the whale resource and eventually set up permanent homes along the coast. Human history unfolds before you along this coast and the rugged scenery, whales, and icebergs makes for an exciting hiking adventure experience. Newfoundland's East Coast juts into the North Atlantic close to where the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current meet. The mixing of warm and cold ocean currents over the Grand Banks result in one of the richest fishing grounds in the world. This is why thousands of Gannets, Puffins, and whales converge along this coast each year.