Waterspouts spin off Cape Breton coast

Waterspouts were spotted off the coast of Cape Breton Wednesday morning in the Chéticamp area.

These images were taken by photographer Michel Soucy and sent to CBC.

A line of developing cumulus clouds and showers rolling into the area produced the waterspouts. At one point there were two occurring at the same time.

Waterspouts are essentially tornadoes that occur over water as a vortex of wind connects the base of the cloud to the water. What you see is condensed water droplets within a spinning vortex of wind.

They are typically short-lived and occur in the tropical regions, although can also be seen in the Great Lakes and here in Atlantic Canada.

They most often occur when the water temperatures are warm and the air temperatures are cooler, creating large temperature contrasts. This was the setup over the region on Wednesday.

In the images, you can also see the "spray ring" spinning around the base of the waterspout as strong winds swirl around the vortex. 

They can be both destructive and dangerous, especially for boats out on the water.

Typically, they dissipate quickly when they make landfall. They rarely move too far inland.