Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada, is a very special place for those who love northeastern New England and the Maritimes. Guarding the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, the island’s cool spruce forests, rocky headlands, ferry rides, outlying islands, marshes, ponds and narrow, little-traveled lanes combine to produce some of the most delightful days we’ve ever spent in the field. Grand Manan has a special charm shared with many coastal communities: neatly painted small houses, the sound of fishing boats on a foggy morning, lobster traps stacked on old wooden piers and the overriding sense of a place where to a great extent weather and tide still dictate the pace of life. For us early fall is the best season at Grand Manan. Clear days and cool nights are the rule, fall wildflowers are superb, whales gather in numbers around the island and migrant birds can be numerous. Our headquarters will be Shorecrest Lodge, a simple but most congenial place and well suited to our needs. Meals are a treat here with plenty of local seafood. Because we’ll remain in one place for the entire week it’s an easy matter to accommodate anyone who wishes to pursue a private agenda compatible with island life or simply take an afternoon off to wander through North Head or read a book.
Day 1: The tour begins at 1 p.m. in Saint John, New Brunswick. It’s about a 90-minute drive to Black’s Harbour and the ferry to North Head. Night in North Head.
Days 2-7: Our days on Grand Manan will be a combination of land excursions to the four corners of the island interspersed with at least two boat trips to offshore islands and undersea ledges where seabirds and whales gather. Greater, Sooty and Manx Shearwaters, Atlantic Puffin and Razorbill are highly likely and if schools of herring are present the numbers of birds may be staggering. Cetaceans may be equally numerous and we could see six or seven species including the very rare Northern Right Whale. Landbird migration will be in full swing and warblers will be particularly in evidence. We could see 20 or more species during the week. Most days will begin with a 7 a.m. breakfast at the lodge. We’ll then depart for the day with picnic lunches, returning to the lodge in time for a relaxed bath before dinner. A midday drop-off or pick-up at the lodge can usually be arranged for those who wish to take a half-day off to read a book or wander through North Head. Nights in North Head.
Day 8: We’ll depart North Head early, returning to Saint John, New Brunswick, where the tour concludes about 11 a.m.
Updated: 14 February 2008
Prices
- 2009 price not yet available
Notes
This tour is limited to 10 participants.