Wineglass Bay: Spring morning . . .
Located northeast of Hobart on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula, Wineglass Bay is one of the famous beautiful beaches of the world. It is often assumed to be called 'wineglass' due to the circular shape of a glass and the clear water contained within, but it has also been suggested the name came from the colour of blood and guts resulting from previous whaling activities.
For about 20 years in the early 1800’s, the southern corner of Wineglass Bay housed a thriving whaling station. Whalers predominantly hunted the Southern Right, Humpback and Sperm Whales as well as the Australian Fur Seal. When the whaling stations operated here, the water in the bay would turn red with the slaughtered creatures' blood. A gruesome tale, the water in the bay is said to have been crimson with the blood of the slaughtered whales, such that it appeared as a glass of full bodied red wine. While the whaling lasted less than 2 decades, the name has endured.
I got to the Lookout area on a fine morning, but thick clouds were casting much shadow on the bay. Waited for half an hour for the right light. Hazards Lagoon is to the right of the Wineglass Beach, and further right is a glimpse of Promise Bay. In good daylight, Wineglass Bay looks like a perfect arc of talc-white sand fringed with turquoise blue water.
Wineglass Bay: Spring morning . . .
Located northeast of Hobart on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula, Wineglass Bay is one of the famous beautiful beaches of the world. It is often assumed to be called 'wineglass' due to the circular shape of a glass and the clear water contained within, but it has also been suggested the name came from the colour of blood and guts resulting from previous whaling activities.
For about 20 years in the early 1800’s, the southern corner of Wineglass Bay housed a thriving whaling station. Whalers predominantly hunted the Southern Right, Humpback and Sperm Whales as well as the Australian Fur Seal. When the whaling stations operated here, the water in the bay would turn red with the slaughtered creatures' blood. A gruesome tale, the water in the bay is said to have been crimson with the blood of the slaughtered whales, such that it appeared as a glass of full bodied red wine. While the whaling lasted less than 2 decades, the name has endured.
I got to the Lookout area on a fine morning, but thick clouds were casting much shadow on the bay. Waited for half an hour for the right light. Hazards Lagoon is to the right of the Wineglass Beach, and further right is a glimpse of Promise Bay. In good daylight, Wineglass Bay looks like a perfect arc of talc-white sand fringed with turquoise blue water.