Whales are watching in front of Newfoundland

Whales are watching in Newfoundland

We want to enjoy nature and watch whales up close - we experience that in one afternoon St. John's in Newfoundland, Canada. On this tour we will find out how successful whale watching in Newfoundland can be. But I'm getting ahead of myself: the capital of the Atlantic Province is very well protected on a harbor basin that is separated from the Atlantic by a narrow entrance. Not being very sea-savvy, it was with somewhat mixed feelings that I waited to board the small Iceberg Quest Tours boat that would take us out into the open Atlantic where we hoped to see whales.

 

 

Normally I always check what the waves are like in the region where such a boat tour takes us. Only then do I decide whether I want to take the risk of going out to sea with a small nut shell - especially if it's as big as the Atlantic. This was not possible here because Signal Hill on one side of the harbor entrance and the headland of Fort Amherst on the other side prevented a clear view of the ocean. I wanted to see whales, so I cautiously boarded the boat in St. John's Harbor - an excellent decision, as it turned out.

 

 

Whales watching in St. John's, Newfoundland

The sea is calm as we follow a fishing boat out into the Atlantic Ocean. To the left of us is the Rock of Signal Hill, and on the right we see the defenses of Fort Amherst watching over the entrance to the port of St. John's. Then our captain turns south towards Cape Spear and after a few minutes we see the fountains of two fin whales near the shore. They quietly pull their tracks in the windless water and again and again their elongated backs emerge from the sea with the short, back-bent dorsal fins and plow through the small waves that arise off the coast. Our helmsman keeps his distance and waits patiently for some distance from the whales. He gives the animals the choice, whether they want to approach us.

 

 

 

The whales are fine with us

We are lucky! The whales are curious and swim towards our boat. Closer and closer are the two colossi until they emerge right next to the boat from the depths of the sea. We hear the loud noise that comes from expelling the compressed breathing air with a lot of pressure and we can see how the breathing hole on her head opens and closes. Almost we can feel the small droplets of condensed breath that they spray into the air. They show no fear of us, but rather seem to play with us, because again and again they appear next to us. It's as if they are watching us too. They come so close that we can see every bump in their thick skin.

 

Whales watch with success

Only after a while do they get bored of the game and dive into the depths of the Atlantic. As a farewell, they show us their flukes before elegantly disappearing into the blue water. Since the two of them no longer show each other after a long wait, the captain decides to continue driving towards Cape Spear. And again we are lucky! This time it's humpback whales playing games with us. And they also show no shyness and come close to our boat. Between the cape and our boat they appear again and again and hit the water with their side fins with a loud splash - almost as if they want to attract the attention of onlookers on the boat and from land. In any case, you can be sure of our undivided attention.

 

 

A minke whale, humpback whales and fin whales

And so it continues. We see a minke whale, several humpback whales and our two fin whales again on the way back towards the port. They are very active and seem to want to demonstrate their behavior to us. Finally we drive back towards the harbor satisfied, while the captain allows us to look out for whales with him from his bridge. Even in the distance you can see the wind rising out of the water. Even the old sea dog who steers our boat gets the hunting fever and he steers towards the two whale fountains. But this time it's too late. When we get there, the two animals have already disappeared and are no longer visible. never mind In any case, my seaworthiness did not come to mind during our whale watching in Newfoundland. The experience was far too exciting for that.

 

 

The whale watching tours of Iceberg Quest Tours at St. John's are among the Signature Experiences in Canada, the best experiences the country has to offer - rightly, we believe.

Very important to us Whale Watching always so that the animals are not put under stress. There are a number of points that should be considered if you want to observe whales sustainably. Iceberg Quest tours follow these principles. You will depart from Pier 6 in St. John's, Newfoundland.

 

 

Questions and answers about whale watching in Newfoundland

 

Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Arrival:

Compare and book flights here*. Air Canada and Icelandair fly, for example. B. from Toronto, Montreal or Halifax to St. John's, Newfoundland. You can then continue your journey by rental car or public transport.

Car Rentals:

Book a rental car for Canada

Hotels:

Accommodation in St. John's, Newfoundland. Hotels and motels for online booking are available under the link. A Selection of good hotels at good prices here.

 

 

Do you know this?

• St. John's in Newfoundland
• Iceberg Beer from Newfoundland
• New Brunswick Canada
• Whale watching off Juneau, Alaska
• Slow Travel - The art of traveling slowly
• Museums in Canada and the US are different
• Newfoundland blogs for travel preparation

 

Source Whale watching in Newfoundland: On-site research supported by the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism Newfoundland and Tourism St. John's. However, our opinion remains our own.

Text whale watching in Newfoundland: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Videos: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline