LaHave River Estuary

LaHave River Estuary is a narrow, shallow inlet of the Atlantic Ocean extending 24 km from Bridgewater, NS, to the coast. This lovely sheltered waterway is favoured for recreational sailing and fishing, especially for salmon and striped bass. The principal industry is fishing, with smaller amounts of farming and shipbuilding. East LaHave was the first land reached by Pierre Du Gua de Monts in 1604 and later became the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the province. (It was named after Cap de la Hève, near Le Havre, France.) In the early 1800s LaHave was used as a depot by pirates preying on New England shipping. Cape LaHave Island is the largest of a group of islands extending 7 km offshore from the mouth of the estuary.