Newfoundland Puffin and Whale Watch Cruise
Description
Best location. Best crew. Best tour boat. Cruise to the incredible Witless Bay Ecological Reserve for your chance to watch puffins, whales, and icebergs. Wildlife attractions vary with the time of year. Puffins nest May through to mid-September. Whale season peaks mid-June through mid-August. Whale sometimes sighted before and after peak period. Icebergs typically appear May to mid-June. Whales and or icebergs are not guaranteed on any given cruise. Enjoy entertaining and educational live commentary provided by on board naturalists and crew. Learn about Newfoundland's marine wildlife and heritage from your enthusiastic, knowledgeable, professional guides during this awesome adventure. Our catamaran offers the most space for your comfort. Our tour boat offers the greatest range to improve chance of encountering whales and other marine wildlife. Tours duration is a minimum of 90 minutes. Tour boat has indoor accommodations for all guests. Transport Canada Certified crew & boat.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Participants are advised to regard all instruction provided by the vessel crew
- Direction/guidance is provided to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all passengers
- Depending on vessel movement/sea conditions, passengers may be advised by the crew to refrain from standing or to remain seated during certain portions of the cruise
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Whales and or icebergs cannot be guaranteed on any given cruise.
- If in the event that the activity is cancelled on the part of Gatherall’s at any time prior to or during the scheduled activity, participants can elect to either reschedule at no additional charge or will receive a full refund.
- Transportation is available from select hotels - additional fees applicable - must be confirmed two hours in advance of tour. Contact Gatherall's
Reviews(941)
Really enjoyable 1.5 hour boat trip that brought us out to see wonderful whale activity, Guides were excellent- particularly the lady who collected us from our hotel as part of our trip. She told us lots about the area on the 25 minute drive from St John’s. On our way back to the hotel, she kindly took a detour when we asked to see the “jelly bean” houses. The guides on the boat were also excellent. Kids (14 and 13) and adults loved the whole experience. It was cool enough at times so bring a few layers. Highly recommended.
Janice picked us up in downtown St. Johns. She is super funny and shared stories/history of the area as we passed by it. Although we were last to board the boat we managed to get prime viewing seats right at the front of the boat. We saw lots of puffins and murres. Claire and crew gave us a lovely tour as we passed along the island. Everyone is super friendly. A little past the island were the whales. At some point we were surrounded by 8 humpback whales. It didn’t matter where on the boat you were standing. It was truly an amazing site. Some of the whales even got very curious and came pretty close to the boat. Truly a 10/10 experience.
This was the best whale watching tour we’ve ever been on! The puffin viewing was also fantastic. The tour staff were friendly and fun!
What an amazing whale watching trip! Guides were friendly and knowledgeable. We saw Humpbacks and lots of different birds. I would highly recommend Gatheralls!
Hey! Thank you so much for your wonderful review! Your kind words means the world to us. I’m really glad you had such an amazing time with our family and crew. Seeing humpbacks alongside all the seabirds always makes for a special day on the water during peak whale season, and I’m happy Mother Nature put on a show for you. It’s also great to hear your kind words about the crew. They really enjoy sharing their knowledge and helping guests make the most of every sighting, so your feedback will mean a lot to them. We really appreciate your recommendation and are so pleased you chose to sail with us. We’d love to welcome you back aboard again anytime! Warm regards, Claire
Despite the cold day, we enjoyed our whale and puffin experience. We saw many puffins and four humpback whales. Our guides were informative, entertaining.
Hi Shelley, Thank you so much for your lovely review! I’m really glad you joined us even with the chilly weather, you gotta make the most of those “bundle up and go anyway” days. Often, they turn out to be some of the most memorable ones on the water! It sounds like you were rewarded with a great mix of sightings too: plenty of puffins and four humpback whales is a fantastic day out here in peak whale season! I’m also happy to hear the crew helped make the experience enjoyable for you. They do their best to keep things both informative and fun, even when the wind has a bit of bite to it. We truly appreciate you sailing with us and sharing your experience. Hopefully we’ll see you back on board again for another Newfoundland adventure someday! Warm regards, Claire
It was a great experience going on the Gatherall's puffin and whale watching tour. The staff was very friendly, and helpful sharing details about puffins and whales as we went past the Gull Island and Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. We had a close look of the whales and the puffins nesting on the island. Thank you.
Hey! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m really glad to hear you had such a great time out on the water with us. It sounds like you got some fantastic views of both the whales and the puffins. Gull Island and the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve never disappoint when things line up like that. I’m also happy to hear the crew made the trip even better for you. They really enjoy sharing what they know about the wildlife and helping guests make the most of every moment as it unfolds. We truly appreciate you choosing to sail with us and taking the time to leave such kind feedback. We’d love to have you back on board again anytime! Warm regards, Claire
What a wonderful tour! The crew were so welcoming and kind, they truly made the trip such an amazing experience! Everyone is so knowledgeable about not only the animals and ocean, but the land and local history as well. The accompanying commentary while observing the area around us was so lovely. Everyone made such an effort to ensure each every one of us were able to get a full experience. I will forever recommend this tour to anyone that visits the area!
Hi there, WOW what an incredible review to read!! 🤩 A “1000/10” experience is honestly amazing to hear, and I’m so glad everything came together for you on the water. It sounds like the full Newfoundland magic showed up with whales, puffins, breathtaking scenery, and a crew that really helped bring it all to life! I love that you felt so included in the experience too. That’s exactly what we aim for, making sure everyone on board gets those special moments and leaves with stories they can’t stop talking about. And the fact that you’d recommend us to absolutely everyone (and come back again and again!) means the world to us. Truly. Thank you for spending part of your adventure with us, we’d love to see you again for round two (or three or four) anytime! 🐋🐧💙 Until next time, Claire
The trip out to see whales and puffins was fantastic. The staff were super friendly and made us all feel like friends. We learned a lot about whales and puffins. We got to see whales out in the bay and the crew made sure we all got a chance to see them from what ever side of the boat we were on.
Hey Jacqui, Thank you so much for your lovely review! I’m really glad to hear you had a fantastic time out on the water with us. Seeing whales out in the bay alongside the puffins is always such a treat, it sounds like the wildlife really delivered for you. It’s also wonderful to hear your comments about the crew. They truly enjoy what they do, and making guests feel comfortable, welcome, and part of the experience is something they take a lot of pride in. I’m especially happy to hear they were able to help everyone get a good view of the whales! Those moments are always on nature’s schedule, so we do our best to make sure everyone gets a chance to enjoy them. Thank you for choosing to sail with us and for taking the time to share your experience. We’d love to see you back on board again someday! Warm regards, Claire
Had a fabulous time. All the crew and staff were so friendly and helpful. Got to see whales and puffins close up. An afternoon we will never forget. Thank you for your warm welcome.
Hey John, Thank you so much for your lovely review! I’m really glad to hear you had such a fabulous time with us. It sounds like you had a perfect afternoon on the water! With close-up views of both whales and puffins, along with a friendly and helpful crew to guide you through it all. Those kinds of moments really do stay with you, and I’m so happy we could be part of such a memorable experience during your time in Newfoundland. We truly appreciate your kind words and warm recommendation, and we’d love to welcome you back on board again someday! Warm regards, Claire
What an amazing last day in Newfoundland! This boat tour will not disappoint! The crew the view the puffins and whales! Everything was perfect from beginning to end! Highly recommended I would do this again!
Hey! What a wonderful way to wrap up your trip to our beautiful province! I’m so glad to hear everything came together for you, from the crew to the scenery, and of course those unforgettable puffins and whales. It sounds like you had exactly the kind of day we hope every guest gets to experience. There’s something really special about ending a trip on the water here, especially when the wildlife decides to make an appearance and the weather plays along. Thank you for choosing to spend your last day with us and for your enthusiastic recommendation. We’d love to have you back on board anytime you find yourself in Newfoundland again! Warm regards, Claire
