Bras d'Or Lake

Bras d'Or occupies roughly a thousand square kilometres in the middle of Cape Breton, connected to the Atlantic by narrow channels at the northern end and by a canal at St. Peter's in the south, which makes it brackish: saltier than a lake, fresher than the sea, and stratified in a way that supports an unusual mix of species. Bald eagles nest around it in one of the densest concentrations in eastern North America. Five Mi'kmaq communities sit on its shores, and the Mi'kmaq name Pitu'paq means the long salt water. UNESCO designated the whole basin a Biosphere Reserve in 2011.

What you actually see

• The brackish inland sea - a thousand square kilometres of part-salt water.
• The eagle population - one of the densest nesting concentrations in the east.
• The Mi'kmaq communities - five nations on the shores with cultural sites.
• The St. Peter's Canal - a working lock linking lake to Atlantic since 1869.

When to go

June to October for boating and the shore roads; eagles are visible year-round and concentrate in winter. Autumn colour around the lake is strong.

Honest expectations

The lake is large and the shore roads are long, so circling it takes a full day of driving. Services are spread out. The water is cool for swimming.

Nearby

Baddeck sits on the shore; the Cabot Trail runs north.