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Newfoundland Puffin and Whale Watch Cruise
St John's, Canada
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Pickup offered
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Marvel at marine wildlife up-close on this cruise through the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. The reserve is home to over 2.5 million seabirds and one of the largest populations of whales in the North Atlantic. Aboard a spacious catamaran with ample viewing areas, admire icebergs and watch for puffins, whales, razor-billed auks, black legged kittiwakes, and more (wildlife attractions vary with the time of year). Hear live commentary from crew and naturalists on board about Newfoundland’s heritage as you travel to Iceberg Alley.
- Marine-wildlife watching catamaran cruise in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
- Travel to Iceberg Alley, strewn with melting icebergs of various shapes
- See a wide variety of seabirds, including Atlantic puffins
- Spot whales during the summer
- Learn about the wildlife and geology from crew and naturalists on board
- Choose from multiple departure times to suit your schedule
What's Included
- All tours hosted by an experienced, local guide
- All safety equipment is provided as per requirements set forth by Transport Canada Marine Safety
- Passengers are provided a pre-departure safety briefing
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
- Transportation - A charge of $35 / person + tax payable on check in for guests requiring shuttle
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Meeting point
- Gatherall's Puffin & Whale Watch90 Northside Rd, Bay Bulls, NL A0A 1C0, Canada
From St. John's (30 minutes by car). South on Route 2 from downtown. Exit Route 3 South to Bay Bulls. Exit left on to St. John's Road & left on Northside Road to Gatherall's Dock. Fees for hotel pick up due at time of check in.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Pickup details
Transportation is offered on limited tours. Guest requiring transportation must contact Gatherall's at least three hours in advance of tour to confirm.
What To Expect
This cruise departs from a private dock in Bay Bulls, about 25 minutes from downtown St. John's, Newfoundland.
At the dock, step aboard a catamaran equipped with a spacious viewing platform. The catamaran can accommodate up to 100 people on its outside decks, and its interior cabin can fit all passengers comfortably in the event of inclement weather. This is the only tour vessel in Newfoundland with such capacity.
Your captain navigates the boat to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, located at the end of Iceberg Alley. Icebergs drift along the coast from Greenland each spring and summer, and by the time they reach the reserve, they have been sculpted by the seas, sun, waves and shoreline to create incredible shapes.
On board, crew and naturalists share insight into the 2.5 million seabirds and the large populations of whales that call the reserve home. Peak whale watching takes place from mid-June through mid-August. (Your crew will do its best to make sure you see whales, but sightings are not guaranteed.) The guides and crew are equipped with wireless microphones and are happy to answer your questions or repeat information as you like.
The boat will stop along sheltered areas of the islands that comprise the Reserve. Snap photos of nesting sites and watch seabirds in their natural habitat. Some species you may see include Atlantic puffins, common murres, black guillemots, northern gannets, greater shearwaters and northern fulmars.
At the dock, step aboard a catamaran equipped with a spacious viewing platform. The catamaran can accommodate up to 100 people on its outside decks, and its interior cabin can fit all passengers comfortably in the event of inclement weather. This is the only tour vessel in Newfoundland with such capacity.
Your captain navigates the boat to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, located at the end of Iceberg Alley. Icebergs drift along the coast from Greenland each spring and summer, and by the time they reach the reserve, they have been sculpted by the seas, sun, waves and shoreline to create incredible shapes.
On board, crew and naturalists share insight into the 2.5 million seabirds and the large populations of whales that call the reserve home. Peak whale watching takes place from mid-June through mid-August. (Your crew will do its best to make sure you see whales, but sightings are not guaranteed.) The guides and crew are equipped with wireless microphones and are happy to answer your questions or repeat information as you like.
The boat will stop along sheltered areas of the islands that comprise the Reserve. Snap photos of nesting sites and watch seabirds in their natural habitat. Some species you may see include Atlantic puffins, common murres, black guillemots, northern gannets, greater shearwaters and northern fulmars.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Participants are advised to regard all instruction provided by the vessel crew
- Infants must sit on laps
- Whales and or icebergs cannot be guaranteed on any given cruise.
- Most travelers can participate
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Featured review
David_M
Awesome staff on the cruise. Very knowledgeable and extremely friendly. Would recommend this tour to everyone.
Reviews
5.0
591 reviews
Nazleen_A, Sep 2023
The tour was wonderful and lovely music 😃 I saw plenty puffins but no whales. The captain was very funny and me laugh, very nice boat tour
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hello there! Thank you for the wonderful review😊
We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your time with us. The puffins are always an amazing sight! as for the whales, it is late in the season and they are moving about therefore to see one this time of year is certainly an added bonus! Captain Al takes great pleasure in his comedy, and enjoys joking with both passengers and crew to make a fun experience for all onboard😁
We look forward to welcoming you back during your next visit to Newfoundland!
Wishing you more exciting experiences in your future travels.
Cheers.
-Liam
leilah_H, Sep 2023
Really fun morning out on the water. The puffins were cute and the crew was so kind and helpful! Thank-you so much :)
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi there! Thanks so much for your kind review! We are so happy to hear you had such a fun time on the water with us! We certainly appreciate your positive words about our kind and helpful crew, they always go above and beyond to keep all passengers happy😁. We hope to welcome you on board should you find yourself in Newfoundland again!
Donna_M, Sep 2023
Loved the care free storytelling, singing crew. Made the trip very enjoyable. Learned a lot about puffins and other seafaring birds. Best of all we released a rescued 8 week old puffin into the wild!
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hey there! Thank you so much for the fantastic review. We're thrilled you enjoyed the carefree, traditional storytelling and singing from our crew. Their passion for their home and heritage certainly shines through! Learning about puffins and other seabirds is always a treat. Releasing a rescued 8-week-old puffin into the wild is an incredible experience for all passengers who are lucky to witness it! Thanks for choosing to sail with us and we hope to welcome you back on board for another magical adventure!
NIAZ_Q, Aug 2023
Awesome experience over all. Everything was great including the gift shop. Boat cruise staff was personable and fun filled.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hello! Thank you for the kind review:) We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed both the cruise and the gift shop! our gift shop staff does an excellent job picking and presenting all of the locally made items, as our boat crew takes great pride in presenting the outmost exceptional experience for all of our passengers.
Wishing you all the best in your future travels😁
Cheers.
-Liam
Michael_Z, Aug 2023
Nothing exciting. We seen the Puffin, but we were to far away from them to really get any good pictures. No whales. Long bus ride for nothing. Maybe think about exploring some towns on the way to the whale/ Puffin or at least have someone talk about the area we went through. Alot of money for nothing
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hi Michael
Thanks for your feedback.
The shuttle service is provided as an option for guests who require transportation to / from the tour and takes the shortest route from the hotels in St. John's. Shuttle service isn't sold as a guided tour and does not include "scenic" points of interest as that is not what is intended / offered nor is there time available in the schedule to permit. The cost of transportation is far less than that of a taxi or car rental. If you wanted a scenic, guided tour enroute to the boat we would have been happy to recommend companies that package the tour with a sightseeing service. Of course, a guided tour including other scenic areas would increase both the price and time required - as it would typically be a full day activity.
Value is a subjective notion. Seeing puffins in their natural environment is on the list of things to do for most visitors and the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve provides the best opportunity to experience and learn about them. Many guests share their photos which of course vary in detail depending on many factors including, type of camera, user ability, lighting, weather conditions, puffin activity, time of season, etc. It is important to remember that this is a tour of an ecological reserve - the birds are not captive.
Whales are not guaranteed and our information on our web site and in the tour listings clearly notes that sightings are seasonal with sightings outside of peak season considered to be a bonus. Perhaps next time you visit we can advise the puffins and whales to be at their finest ;)
I'd be willing to bet that you're the chap onboard (Michael Z) on Sunday, Aug 27 when at least two of our guides noted that they attempted to engage and offer you assistance several times and were met with the most curmudgeonly of responses and rebukes each time - so the sentiment of you review was anticipated. BTW I was on board for that tour and puffins were plentiful there was no issue with viewing / photographing puffins plus we had a fabulous look at a large mola mola (sunfish) and bald eagle.
Wishing you more fun and smiles in your future travels.
Cheers.
Mike
Angela_M, Aug 2023
WOW! There were so many puffins and they were wonderful to see and experience. We saw a minke whale and a sunfish. The vessel we traveled on was perfect with plenty of room and a few washrooms. There is a cafe and shop and the family work there and they are all precious. Excellent experience, highly recommend!
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hi Angela! Thank you for sharing your excitement! We're thrilled you had a "WOW" experience with so many puffins, sightings of a minke whale outside the peak season, and sunfish😁. It's wonderful that you found our vessel comfortable and well-equipped. We're glad our family-run establishment further added to your experience. Your high recommendation means so much to us and we hope to welcome you back for another amazing adventure with us!
Judith_N, Aug 2023
We were able to see kinky whales and puffins. Beautiful boat ride. The crew was knowledgeable and very entertaining
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hi there! Thank you for your review! We're delighted you got to see minke whales outside the typical peak whale season! It's so great to hear you enjoyed the puffin colony as well. Our knowledgeable and entertaining crew aims to make every experience enjoyable. Your support is appreciated and we hope to welcome you for another wonderful adventure with us 😁.
Joan_T, Aug 2023
The excellent educational information. Staff was very knowledgeable.
Puffin burrows! And watching puffins fly, skimming over the water.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello there! Thank you for your review! We're thrilled you found our educational information excellent and our staff knowledgeable. Watching puffins in action, including flying and skimming over the water, is indeed a unique and entertaining sight! We hope to welcome you back for more amazing experiences for your next trip to Newfoundland.
BrianneSolomon, Aug 2023
The crew was amazing and so friendly, not to mention incredibly welcoming. Everyone in the shop was so sweet you can tell it’s a family business. The sights were beautiful and it was a great time. Absolutely a must do while in NL!
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello! Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted you found our crew amazing, friendly, and welcoming. We take pride in our family business creating memorable experiences for almost 40 years! We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again during your next visit to Newfoundland😁
Hollie_P, Aug 2023
The trip was excellent from start to finish. Well-organized, friendly crew. I have been on similar excursions and none compared. We were extremely close to the whales and had a great experience seeing puffins nesting. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello! Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled that your experience with Gatherall'swas excellent in every aspect. It's fantastic that you found our trip well-organized and our crew friendly. We're delighted to have exceeded your expectations compared to other excursions. Getting up close to the whales and observing puffins nesting made for a great experience! We truly appreciate your high recommendation and hope to welcome you back for more incredible adventures!
From $89.60
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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