A whale of a good time

Whether or not you grew up watching Free Willy, a trip to Atlantic Canada just isn’t complete without a whale-watching experience. Zip up your windbreaker, step into a pair of rubber boots and don’t forget the sunscreen. We’re about to explore some of th

NEW BRUNSWICK

Not only are there numerous places to go whale-watching in New Brunswick, there are also different types of vessels — from the slow-and-steady to the fast-and-furious.

If you love the thrill of whizzing across the water, try a high-speed whale watching excursion on a 33-foot Zodiac Hurricane in the Bay of Fundy with Campobello Island Water Taxi and Tours in Saint Andrews. You’ve got a good chance of spotting minkes, humpbacks and the rare right whale — plus playful seals and porpoises.

Prefer a slower, more leisurely whale-watching cruise? Step aboard the Jolly Breeze Tall Ship also in Saint Andrews, where there are activities for little sailors — face-painting, a touch tank, and pirate costumes — and a certificate for anyone who can steer a straight course.

Worried you’ll get out on the water and won’t see a single whale? Sea Watch Tours in Grand Manan, promises “more whales, more often than anywhere else in New Brunswick.” They offer a money back guarantee if you don’t see any whales on your tour, and there’s also a very good chance of spotting porpoises, dolphins, sharks and tuna.

NOVA SCOTIA

While there are whale-watching tours offered in just about every port in Nova Scotia, the most popular tours are found in and around the Annapolis Valley and the Cabot Trail.

Capt. Mark’s Whale and Seal Cruise takes you through Pleasant Bay, and comes with a hydrophone to hear the whales and an underwater video camera to capture their movements.

Up in Chéticamp, Captain Zodiac passengers are treated to finback, humpback, pilot and minke whales, as well as dolphins and porpoises. Sometimes, tour groups will also get to spot blue, sperm, killer, beluga and right whales. There’s even an option to snorkel with the whales!

If you’re in the Annapolis Valley, you can hunt for humpbacks, finbacks and rights on the Bay of Fundy with Brier Island Whale & Seabird Cruises out of Westport. Their cruises are narrated by naturalists and researchers, so you’re sure to learn a lot on your tour.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Just off the coast of P.E.I., you might get to spot pilot, finback, humpback, minke, right, sperm or beaked whales — along with those energetic dolphins and porpoises. North Lake Charters in North Lake offers a popular whale-watching tour, as well as tours that involve feeding, swimming and diving with some of the ocean’s “giants.”

Sailing out of Naufrage Harbour, PEI Sea Adventures has tours that combine whalewatching with deep-sea fishing. You can catch mackerel, herring, cod, halibut, hake, sculpin and perch — and have it filleted, free of charge, so you can take it home to cook and enjoy.

NEWFOUNDLAND

Newfoundland is one of the best places in the world to go whalewatching. More than 10,000 humpback whales come to Newfoundland each year to feed (April through October) — and 21 other species of whales and dolphins visit, too.

Dark Tickle Expeditions in St. Lunaire-Griquet, combines a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to explore what’s hiding below the waves with an aerial drone to give tourists a bird’s-eye view of icebergs and other structures.

Twillingate is the iceberg capital of the world, making “Iceberg Alley” an amazing place to spot whales with Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours. Be sure to have your camera ready for when the humpback whales launch themselves into the air before your eyes.