Daniel Clinch, 15, cuts fishing rope for his boss in Seal Cove - former home of the smoked herring industry in Grand Manan.
Bucky Swigger is pleased with his nearly 4 tons of rockweed he gathered that morning. A lobster fisherman in the winter, Bucky prefers the freedom of rockweeding in the summer season. Rockweed is used for its carrageenan, which is found in everything from ice cream to cosmetics. Bucky earns $43.50/ton for his work on the back side of the island.
Bucky down below in his skiff, commanding the claw -- a hoist above that lifts the last load of rockweed in the truck. He pulled in nearly 4 tons this morning.
Pat Green, 20, shovels the nearly 8 tons of rockweed Bucky and Elvis have gathered that morning into the back of the dump truck, where it will be taken away from Ingall's Head for production.
The morning tally for Bucky and Elvis.
Dulse, otherwise known as red seaweed, is harvested in two locations on Grand Manan - in the passage, and on the back of the island, known as Dark Harbour. In addition to the lobster fisherman who don't work the summer months, for years islanders have been making a living picking, drying and selling dulse - which is dried and sold as a salt substitute in health food stores, and eaten as a local snack.
Generations of men leave in the morning fog to harvest dulse at low tide.
Gotta Pay The Man!
Chad Wortham, 27, has been picking dulse for years. He began scalloping as a kid, then a "wrinkler" (someone who picks periwinkle snails) and finally a lobster fisherman. In the summer months he makes a living off of dulsing.
Heading out at low tide, down island to a fresh picking spot.
Salmon cages at dawn. In addition to the lobster fishing in the November-June season, and the inconsistent weir fishing industry, salmon farmers work hard to eeke out a living on the island.
Rodney Urqhart, 26, also makes a living picking dulse in the summer. On a good day they can rake in a few hundred dollars, enough to buy groceries and "milk for the baby". Here they prepare to anchor the dory.
Rodney and Chad wave at other dulsers before the days work begins.
The work is backbreaking. The two literally rip the dulse off the rocks with their bare hands, and then pile it into loose burlap sacks. The wet dulse will be brought home and dried in the sun. Once dried it is weighed and sold. Rodney takes a break from the work.
Chad holds up a piece of red seaweed.
Scrambling over the rocks with the haul.
Chad on his way to 8 bags full of dulse, ripping quicly as the tides begin to roll in.
Silhouetted by the motor of the dory.
Rodney and Chad negotiating how to get the dory off the pile of rocks it is stuck on.
Preparing to hoist the dory over the haul-up, a large berm of rock that protects the beach from the high tides. The boat is hooked to a wire and literally pulled up and over the rock bed.
Dulse for sale and drying facilities for pickers.
A drying field, one of many in Dark Harbour.
Adam Tate is a fourth generation fisherman, born and raised on Grand Manan. He makes his living as a lobsterman, but picks dulse in the off season, and here sets out a recent haul to dry.
Dulse for sale at the local market. Dark Harbour dulse is sold around the world, and known for its unique flavour and saltiness.
Drew and Coco - brothers at low tide, Ingall's Head.
The remnants of weir poles in North Head make a striking landscape in the fog.
