Boat Tour: 40 Years of Unforgettable Experiences

Join our 2-hour guided whale and bird boat tour in Bay Bulls. Experience breathtaking views, expert guides, and unforgettable wildlife encounters. Book your adventure today!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Witless Bay ecological reserve - Every spring and summer the four islands that make up the reserve become a nesting ground for approximately 4 million seabirds. Several different species that can be seen on the islands include: the second largest colony of Leach’s Storm-Petrel in the world (620,000 pairs), Common Murre, Razorbill Auk, Black-Legged…
What's Included
  • Lifejackets
What's Not Included
  • Shuttle Service 35 CAD
Additional Information

Delivering exceptional service and unforgettable experiences to our guests for 40 years. With four decades of experience under our belt, we have perfected the art of providing the best boat tour experience.
Our tour guides are highly knowledgeable and passionate about the local history and wildlife, and they are committed to sharing their expertise with…

Location
22 Lower Rd
Lower Road
Please arrive 30 minutes prior to departure time to check in and pick up your tickets at our gift shop. A ticket is required for boarding. * You must call our office if shuttle service is required, please note this is an additional charge per person.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(551 Ratings)
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Janem305
Sep 8, 2025
Great experience with O’Brien’s - We greatly enjoyed our boat tour, narrated by Noah. We saw lots of puffins ( sadly past whale season) and learned a lot. Heartily recommend O’Brien’s
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D2699aialexa
Sep 6, 2025
What a Crew - WOW -- Flat Ocean Water Perfect Conditions! Made for a perfect outing Combine that with a team of Hospitality Masters throw in a Kitchen Party and a Cod JIGGIN Your in for an amazing trip. Not to mention the Puffins and Sea Birds. This is your ALL STAR CREW
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brian_donna_w
Sep 5, 2025
Great way to see Witless Bay - Beautiful day for a scenic boat tour of Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. We knew it was late in the season, but we still saw many puffins, cormorants, gulls and even a bald eagle. Only spotted one whale (probably a Minke), but saw plenty of jellyfish. Crew did a great job explaining the area and about the geology and wildlife in the area. Overall an amazing experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F7652pjbarbaram
Sep 4, 2025
Exceptional. A must do! - This was a great experience. Highly recommend. Was entertaining and educational. Puffins were great. The cod jigging was really interesting and lots of cod were caught.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leeanned70
Sep 4, 2025
Sun, fun Puffins & Mola galore - It was a glorious day starting with the weather. It was warm & sunny. Immediately boarding the boat the staff were friendly & welcoming. The tour guide Larry O'Brien was fun, knowledgeable engaging & very entertaining! We were privileged to see soo many puffin, Mola Mola & even an Eagle. Also the boys rigged for cod & caught 2 for the screech ceremony!! The Best Day ever! Thank you!! 🥰 I would highly recommend O'Briens to everyone!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sailormom11
Sep 3, 2025
Fun and memorable! - Amazing sightseeing tour! We got to see marine life, plenty puffins and caught some cod! The screeching in ceremony was a fun and memorable experience! We definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephentt8615je
Sep 2, 2025
Wonderful day. - We had a wonderful experience. The entertainment was top notch, and a beautiful day on the water. Loved seeing the puffins.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shannondy7724pe
Aug 30, 2025
Excellent - The crew made us all feel so welcomed. From live entertainment, knowledgeable information, and very interactive. Shout-out to Michael!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sophiacliplef
Aug 29, 2025
A wonderful day in the bay! - Had a wonderful time during both the tour and Con O’Brien’s “A Feed of Fish” (the lunch & live music event offered afterward). Tour guide on the boat was excellent - hilarious, knowledgeable, and musical! No whales, as to be expected for this time of year, but saw a sunfish, jumping tuna, several jellyfish, three eagles, and tons of puffins! Shoutout also to the great black-backed gulls, kittiwakes, and herring gulls - the kittiwakes were especially cute! And the views of the coastline were breathtaking - even just breathing the cool ocean air was a gift. Watching the screech-in ceremony in the way back to shore was a final highlight. For the lunch portion, the food was delicious (for the main I had the cod with dressing - huge portion!) and the music and stories were beautiful. I definitely left with a greater sense of how central cod-fishing was to life on the bay, and a newfound (no pun intended) love and nostalgia for this place I’ve recently come to call home.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
776chafich
Aug 29, 2025
Unforgettable boat ride to see thousands of puffins! - I highly recommend hitting this tour if you're visiting the St. John's area. My wife and I drove to Cape Spear in about 20 minutes on the way to Bay Bulls and did the short hike to the lighthouse. From there, we drove about 30 more minutes south and did the 2 hour cruise. We were told that the whales and iceburgs were no longer around for that time of year, but we were still excited to see the puffins. We must have seen over 1000 puffins flying around and nesting on Gull Island. The boat's crew was very entertaining and shared some really interesting facts about the area along with the puffins.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $83
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).