We are heading to O’Brian’s Whale and Puffin Boat Tour into the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve an area preserved to protect seabird nesting habitat. We get on and up to the very front of the upper deck for a good viewing and photographing spot. Our tour guide, Con, does a good job of describing the life of various seabirds found nesting on four islands in Witless Bay. We pass by a pair of nesting eagles along the shore. It appears that many of the people on the boat have never seen a Bald Eagle up close. As we cross to the islands we see Atlantic Puffs, Common Murres, Kittiwakes, Razor Bill Auks, Thick Bill Auks, Guillemonts, and Great Black Backed Gulls. As we approach the island the air is filled with birds and the island is covered with more. It was great observing them at a close distance. Next we are on the lookout for whales. Up until last week the area was covered with Humpback Whales and Fin Whales but not now since the caplin are no longer near the shore the whales are leaving. We do spot a female Humpback with her calf and spend a half hour near them. Off in the distance a Fin Whale is spotted but it’s way off in the distance. Time to head back to port and off to the north we spot two Humpbacks breaching multiple times. They are not close yet we all have spectacular views of the breaching.
Back in port we decide it’s time to look for the elusive dildo. Wait, that needs to be capitalized, Dildo. That’s better. Dildo is the name of a Newfoundland village and home to The Dildo Brewery. We figure it’s the middle of the week so there will not be crowded. We are so wrong! To have food at the brewery it is an hour wait for a table and another hour more before food. This is 3 in the afternoon. There’s a music festival in town and it’s jammed at the brewery as well as any other place to eat along the waterfront. We resolve to leave. About two miles away there is a dive we decide to stop at and see if it’s even open. It is and we enjoy the best seafood chowder we’ve had so far in Newfoundland. It’s a treat.
Time to head back to our campground where we meet a couple from Maryland in an Aliner next door. Soon it’s time to eat and get ready of the night.
Seeing North America 