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Enjoy a long weekend in Newfoundland and the freedom of a self drive whale watching experience, where the summer months bring sightings of humpback, fin and minke whales, plus orcas and dolphins.

St John's, Newfoundland makes a great base for a long weekend on Canada's eastern seaboard. Your visit includes two morning whale watching excursions by boat from which you may also see Atlantic puffins, seabirds and other marine life on this unforgettable adventure.

Explore St John’s in the afternoons, or use your car to venture further afield as bald eagles soar above you. In peak season, huge colonies of gannets, kittiwakes and common murre nest close to razorbill and Northern fulmar whilst from the high sea-cliffs you can even watch whales as they cavort and breach offshore in their northern coastal feeding grounds.

Suggested Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Fly to St John's & collect hire car

    On arrival at St John's International Airport, collect your hire car and drive to your accommodation nearby.

    We offer a choice of hotels/guesthouses in and around St John's and can tailor your itinerary to ensure that you will be staying in properties that best fit your needs and requirements - contact us to find out more.

  2. Days 2-3 : Whale watching in Newfoundland

    Over the next two days, morning whale watching boat trips have been arranged with a local specialist operator into the protected waters of Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. Typically, the trips are scheduled to last two hours, with experienced guides identifying species and interpreting behaviour. The remainder of each day is then free to enjoy St John's and/or the surrounding spectacular coastal scenery, using your hire car.

    You can see whales off the Newfoundland coastline all year round, but sightings are most common, and therefore peak season is generally considered to be between mid-June to mid-August. Sightings are still possible outside these times, but are less consistent. In addition to cetacean viewing, this stretch of coast is known as Iceberg Alley, and it's possible to view goliath bergs drifting south from May to mid/late June.

    Cetaceans of Newfoundland

    Celebrate the whale watchers whale, the humpback, easily recognised by its balloon-shaped blow and its showy behaviour. Waving their long, white pectoral fins in the air, these can measure as much as one-third of their body length.

    Distinguish fin whales, the second largest in the world, by their straight high blow, the shape of an ice-cream cone. Their long, streamlined black back emerges before its long curved dorsal fin appears above the surface. Its underside is contrasting white, and its side flippers are small and pointed.

    Solitary minke whales, the smallest baleen whale, are a common sight in the bays off the coast, although their blow is low and often barely noticeable. Minkes are black on top, white underneath, and their small pectoral fins have a distinctive white patch.

    Unmistakeable, is the tall pointed dorsal fin of orca, or the killer whale, which in males can be up to two metres long. Behind the eye, you will see a white spot that stands out against the glossy black body. They have been observed eating humpbacks on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

    Harbour porpoises are the smallest of the whale family, called  'puffin pigs' in Newfoundland because of the grunt they make while breathing. The rounded head has no beak, the skin is dark grey on the back, and speckled white underneath. Small black flippers are always located on the white portion of the body, and the strong triangular dorsal fin is sited right in the middle of the back.

    In addition, keep an eye out for white-sided and white-beaked dolphins, often associating with a variety of seabirds during feeding frenzies.

  3. Day 4: Whale watching, then depart St John's

    This morning, a final whale watching boat trip has been included, departing from St John's itself. Once again, search the seas for cetaceans, seabirds and even passing icebergs, before spending one last afternoon in Newfoundland and St John's. Later, return your hire car to the airport and board your overnight flights back to the UK.

  4. Day 5: Arrive UK

Key info

Our trip ideas are offered to inspire you and can be tailored to suit your requirements.
  • Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 5 days from £1,695 pp
  • Duration and price excluding international flights: 4 days from £995 pp
  • Single supplement: From £450
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
  • When to go: Jun-Aug
  • Included in the price/package:
    • Accommodation
    • Car hire
    • Shared excursions with English-speaking guide
    • Conservation fund contribution
  • Activities available:
    • Boat trip
Featured location:

Newfoundland

Each year large numbers of whale, dolphins and porpoises migrate to the waters around the Newfoundland coast – about 15 species are normally present, seasonally or year round. St. Mary’s Bay is well-known for whale watching, and is easy to reach on a self-drive tour from the capital, St John’s. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: Newfoundland & Labrador
  • Ideal for viewing: fin whale, humpback whale, minke whale, pilot whale, sperm whale
  • Excellent for: Self-drive, Whale watching, Dolphin watching