Heather Beach

History

Heather Beach was one of the original 15 beaches first supervised by the Nova Scotia Beach Supervision Program in 1973. The current NSLS Director, Paul D'Eon, began his NSLS career at Heather Beach in 1975. Heather Beach's most prominent feature is its red sand, characteristic of beaches along the Northumberland Strait, which separates the northern shores of Nova Scotia and the south shore of Prince Edward Island.

Beach Safety

Heather Beach boasts some of the warmest water in Nova Scotia, with temperatures typically around 22 degrees Celsius, and conditions are generally calm and safe. The sandbars at low tide are mostly exposed, leaving the buoys 200 meters from shore in water less than 0.5 meters deep. There is a very gradual slope, making for fairly safe conditions. The supervised area is approximately 200 meters long and is generally located directly in front of the beach parking lot. Lifeguards advise patrons to always swim within the supervised area. On days with offshore winds, no inflatables or floatation devices are to be used. Boats and other hard-shell craft are also not permitted in the supervised swimming area.