Imagine diving into the still-cool, salty waters, leaping off the wharf for an evening swim after class. In the distance, the gentle puff of water sounds, as a minke whale surfaces—an enchanting sight in the fjord’s lower arm. For the next two weeks, this is both your classroom and your home, where you’ll learn the ins and outs of fieldwork, whip up dinner with friends and build a campfire from scavenged wood and use Doritos chips as a fire starter.
The Bonne Bay Marine Station is a vibrant hub for summer field courses, typically offering three to five two week long classes each year. Focus areas include marine ecology, seaweed, and whale acoustics. Nestled within Gros Morne National Park, the research campus is surrounded by rich biodiversity, featuring arctic kelp beds, salt marshes, salmon estuaries, and eelgrass meadows, all leading to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a chance to explore one of Newfoundland’s hidden gems!
Accommodations and food costs $640 for a 2 weeks, and tuition is priced the same as a regular course. Students can also apply for financial aid through the Bob Hooper Scholarship, valued at $1,500. The marine station also offers summer job positions for students, providing opportunities to work at the aquarium and engage with visitors as interpreters at the marine touch tank. This is an excellent chance for students to earn extra money while enjoying a dynamic hands-on summer experience.
The courses vary annually, providing returning and new students with diverse opportunities. A newsletter on the Memorial biology field course webpage highlights these offerings, showcasing past courses that focus on the fjord’s unique conditions. Laura DeGruchy comments, “the Bonne Bay field courses showed me how to take my learning into my own hands. I was able to modify my learning to a certain degree to focus on aspects that were of interest to me! I learned how to fill out a field work notebook, spent hours out on boat and in the field collecting samples, and spent time in the lab working with samples collected. [These classes] give you a glimpse of what real life field work is like. A valuable aspect you can’t get in a classroom only teaching.”
The unique atmosphere provides opportunities to bond with classmates over afternoon ice cream runs and trivia nights at the local Cat and Rooster pub (yes, there really are cats!) or explore the insectarium and hold a stick bug. Those memories of snorkelling, kayaking, hiking, or a picture on the stunning boat tour of the Western Brook Pond quickly become the highlight of your academic career at Memorial University.
Zachary Froud, a psychology student, reflected, “it was an amazing and unique experience where you could work closely with your prof and peers. It gives you a great sense of what happens outside the classroom and how to apply your knowledge.”
Tips for success at Bonne Bay
Remember to pack coins for the laundry machines and don’t forget your sweater! With sheets, blankets, and pillows provided, you can save some space in your luggage for your favourite snacks, a beach towel, or even a fishing rod (if you can get it past airport security). If you find your luggage full, no worries! Just stop by the local mini-mart for any last minute items. And when it comes to classes, “always be prepared and on time, ask questions, and most importantly be safe and have fun!” says DeGruchy.
Another friendly tip from student Aryanna Dee Maxner is to “bring your own hipsters and high-knee rain boots!” Getting stuck in the mud is all part of the learning process, and a raincoat for those rainy days is essential—you definitely don’t want soggy socks while hiking the tablelands.
Life as a student at the Bonne Bay Marine Station can be hectic and chaotic, yet it often becomes the highlight of many academic journeys. It feels like a home away from home, offering not just a classroom but a chance to adapt to the unpredictability of nature. Students develop their sea legs while exploring one of Newfoundland’s most breathtaking parks. As Rylan Herritt put it, “Bonne Bay Marine Station showed me a completely new and wonderful side of biology and academic life, I would highly recommend a field course there for anyone of any discipline.” As a former Bonne Bay student myself, I couldn’t agree more.