Witless Bay Tour: Puffins and Marine Wildlife

Explore Witless Bay’s wildlife on a 90-minute cruise. Spot puffins, whales, and more. Enjoy live commentary and a Screech In ceremony. Book now!

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Gatherall’s Puffin & Whale Watch - 90 minute exploration of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and the scenic vistas of the surrounding coastline. Best opportunity for late season puffin sightings (its late seas but usually there are some remaining till Sept 20). You’ll travel aboard a stable catamaran with a comfortable viewing platform.
    The tour…
What's Included
  • All safety equipment is provided as per requirements set forth by Transport Canada Marine Safety
  • All tours hosted by an experienced, local guide
  • Vessel is washroom equipped
  • Passengers are provided a pre-departure safety briefing
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Gratuities
  • Public transportation (bus, subway, cable car, etc.)
Additional Information

This 90 minute tour features the incredible Witless Bay Ecological Reserve - your best chance to view puffins in late season. Attractions vary with the time of year but occasionally whale, dolphins, tuna and ocean sunfish are encountered. Seasonal guidance: puffins nest May through to mid-September with some usually remaining till Sept 20. Whale season…

Location
Gatherall's Puffin & Whale Watch
Northside Road
For shuttle service please contact us to arrange. Driving: From St. John's (30 minutes by car). South on Route 2 from downtown. Exit Route 3 South to Bay Bulls. Exit left on to St. John's Road & left on Northside Road to Gatherall's Dock.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(18 Ratings)
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Michael_o
Sep 30, 2025
Puffins did not disappoint! - We really enjoyed the boat tour, giving us an opportunity to see Puffins! The tour operator team were fantastic and we learned a lot about the area and wildlife.
Review provided by Viator
Jjo
Sep 25, 2025
Excellent puffin viewing boat trip. - We went late in the season so all we got to see were the puffins. But we love bird watching and puffins are a blast to watch. They were swimming near the boat and flying by the whole time. The Gatherall boat is large and has plenty of viewing areas for everybody. All in all, a really fun couple of hours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary_k
Sep 22, 2025
Puffins! Eagles! and More - We took this tour near the end of August. We loved seeing puffins, eagles, and even a sunfish. Be aware that the puffins shed their bright beaks after the breeding season. They are still cute! You should bring field glasses/binoculars to increase your chances of seeing animals. The Gatherall staff, including the shuttle driver and the crew on the boat, were all friendly and professional. There was the right mix of information and humor while the crew also focused on keeping everyone safe. The boat is not a small boat. To see some sights, you will need walk to the sides of the boat. Be sure to dress for breezes and, potentially, rain.
Review provided by Viator
Deh480
Sep 20, 2025
Ocean Adventure - This is the tour to take if you want to experience sea life. Saw a leatherback turtle, blue fin tuna, many different sea birds and of course puffins. Not only did we get to see all of that, but also enjoyed singing by some of the boat crew. Certainly a highlight of our trip to Newfoundland.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O2725qddaveb
Sep 16, 2025
Great boat tour - Such a well organized boat tour. So entertaining and professional run. The singing and stories added to our tour. Lots of puffins to see. We saw a large ocean sunfish but no whales.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Valeriebf8453nh
Sep 11, 2025
Outing with my family - Awesome experience! Everyone was so nice and informative! The sea air was very nice! I'm originally from Newfoundland and I miss the ocean so much. Sorry I didn't see any whales but next time hopefully! Thank you 😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sheila_c
Sep 10, 2025
The total experience from... - The total experience from pick up by Joanne, at my hotel to checking in at the location, and the cruise staff. Very fun staff onboard! Enjoyed the singing voices of the two ladies; along with Screechers part. The educational information was informative. The cruise staff was alert to sightings of various species. Seeing the Sun Fish was facinating; as close enough to the ship to get a good view of its size!
Review provided by Viator
William_s
Sep 9, 2025
The Great Puffin Cruise - We had a great voyage around the puffin laden island, and saw an ocean sunfish, a humpback whale, zillions of puffins and other sea birds, and sailed through a large school of jellyfish. The guide kept us informed of what and where the creature were, and even sang some songs. Weather was perfect as well. Great investment in time and money.
Review provided by Viator
Macmaster111
Sep 8, 2025
A great outing! - We had a fabulous day weather wise which made for a very pleasant tour. We did see some oversized sun fish, jelly fish and puffins. The staff were very friendly and informative! I would strongly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annette_m
Sep 7, 2025
Puffin experience - Ship’s captain very informative. Shuttle was too expensive and could not hear commentary from the driver as she was speaking to the window. No microphone so only the front 4 passengers could hear the driver. Great to see puffins.
Review provided by Viator