Spying whales and spotting puffins in the Atlantic

Every spring and summer the waters off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador play host to the largest concentration of nesting seabirds and migrating humpback whales anywhere in the world.  This spectacle unfolds just a few kilometres off shore, at the confluence of the warm Gulf Stream and the frigid Labrador Current. Here, where cod has been overfished to the point of near-elimination, nature enthusiasts come to experience the thrill of seeing hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds, the feeding frenzy of 40-tonne whales and the occasional sighting of a 10,000-year-old iceberg drifting southwards from its Arctic home.

The way to observe this is on board one of the many passenger ferries that operate from Bay Bulls Harbour, bound for the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. As your boat chugs towards the mist-shrouded islands, the patter of your guides and the jovial folk singing recede in deference to a loud hum, accompanied by an overpowering stench – its origin apparent only when the fog lifts. All of a sudden you’re surrounded by what seems like millions of clown-faced puffins, penguin-like murres and black-legged kittiwakes diving in and out of the waters, delivering beak loads of capelin to their young.

The flurry of activity overhead nearly distracts you from seeing the tell-tale spray of a giant humpback in the distance. A short while later a guide announces that a small pod of minke whales had been spotted near the stern. Soon more dorsal fins slice through the gentle swells and the characteristic forked tails slap the seas as the whales submerge to feed. It’s only now that you appreciate the immense size of these cetaceans as they follow alongside your boat. 

The three-hour cruise is over far too quickly. Before you know it your guide asks, “Are you ready to become an honorary Newfoundlander?” Your intentions seem obvious as you quickly down a shot of Screech (the local rum) and kiss a stuffed puffin in front of a rowdy group of fellow passengers.