Our customers are very important to us. Whether they come from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia the United States or from our own backyard in our native New Brunswick, we value each one. It is essential when you step aboard the “Day’s Catch”, that the few hours that you spend with us are enjoyable, educational and entertaining. We are confident that we can meet all those requirements.

“Beautiful trip with outstanding boat and crew”

“Worth coming 3000 miles for”

”It was just as wonderful and informative as it was 15 years ago”

”Had the best of whale watching and coming back for more”

“This was my fourth whale watching trip in my life and it was unquestionably the best”

“A very enjoyable and instructive trip – not to be missed, I shall tell the folks back home”

“A fantastic day with super guides”

“Our third trip out with you, as great as always”

“This was our 1st. whale watching trip. What an experience! We plan to tell all our friends. It was worth coming all this distance”

“My 9th. Time with “Sea Watch”! Always different, always incredible!”

“Wonderful again! We certainly enjoyed the entire experience”

“The perfect end for a wonderful holiday”

Grand Manan Island is located at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, an area rich in sea life. the island is part of the province of New Brunswick, Canada, but has an identity very much its own. The ferry leaves from Black’s Harbour which is approximately one hour’s drive from Saint John to the east; or the US/Canada border to the west. The ferry crossing takes approximately 1 1/2 hours and docks at North Head, Grand Manan. Upon arriving in Seal Cove, turn down the SC Breakwater Road (opposite the two churches) and follow this road to the wharf directly at the bottom of the hill.  There is ample parking available, and your vessel, “Day’s Catch”, is a short walk away. “All aboard!” for an unforgettable day of whales and sea birds.

Grand Manan has become one of the key destination points in the Maritimes. It is known for its unique way of life – a quality of life that most of this world would love to obtain. Visitors enjoy the generosity and friendliness of its people, unspoiled by the rush of commercialism.

There are many things to see and do on our island such as: hiking a trail, cycling, walking a beach, kayaking or taking an excursion to view the wonders of the deep, and the other aspects of life on the ocean. Our newly renovated museum offers an impressive look into our past and present.

Grand Manan is an unspoiled canvas to the painter, the peaceful enjoyment of nature for the hiker, a mecca for bird watchers, a haven of relaxation from the hustle and bustle of life, and a bounty of nature’s best for the naturalist. If this appeals to you, you can find out more about our island by visiting our Grand Manan Tourism site.

Arriving here by Ferry

The trip takes 1.5 hours from Black’s Harbour, NB. For rates and schedules, please visit the Coastal Transport site.

 

Below are some topics of general information which may help in answering some of your questions. Please feel free to contact us for any further information. We’ll be happy to help you.

Atlantic Daylight Time

If arriving from the United States or the province of Quebec remember to set your watches ahead one hour. We are on Atlantic Daylight Time

Clothing

Wear layers, even though it is summer and very warm on the land, it can be quite chilly on the ocean. The Bay of Fundy waters remain cool, at approximately 50°F/10°C. Any breeze at all on these cool waters can make you forget that it’s summer. We also have blankets available if your sweatshirt, sweater and jacket just aren’t enough.

Weather

Fog, rough seas and wind are the three things we can do without. The trip to Machias Seal Island can be made in the fog, but not in conjunction with any of the other elements mentioned above. Whale watching tours must take all three elements into consideration. If the weather is questionable, we do our best to keep you informed about the status of your tour.

Safety

Life jackets are a mandatory item aboard the vessel. While you are not required by law to wear it during the trip, you may if you wish. The life jackets that we are required by law to carry for children are very awkward and cumbersome. We encourage parents of small children, who want them to wear one, to bring their own if they have one.

Motion Sickness

Some individuals are more susceptible to this than others.  Some things to help make your trip more pleasant, if you are prone to motion sickness or unsure of being on the water, are, eat a light breakfast or lunch before sailing, avoid dairy products and fruit juice.

Some individuals are comfortable taking medication for motion sickness, and this should be taken per instructions on the package.

Day’s Catch

The “Day’s Catch” is inspected annually by the Canadian Coast Guard and is licensed to carry 48 passengers and two crew. There is a head (restroom) on board.

Wheelchairs

In some circumstances, we can accommodate someone in a wheelchair if you notify us in advance of your tour. The extreme rise and fall of the tides and public wharf access must be taken into account when accommodating a wheelchair, but rest assured that we will do our best.

Sunscreen

Wear sunscreen with a minimum of 15 SPF. Reflection of the sun off the water increases the likelihood of sunburn.

Food and Beverages

Feel free to bring your own food or lunch. Hot drinks are available on board and the first cup is free. You may bring soft drinks and juices, but no alcoholic beverages are permitted.

Binoculars

Bring them along if you like, although they are not usually necessary.

Machias Seal Island is located in the lower Bay of Fundy, approximately ten miles west of Grand Manan Island. The island is barely a mile long at low tide, and a few hundred feet wide. A lighthouse is located there and in the non-nesting season the only occupants on the island are the two lighthouse keepers. The lighthouse has been maintained by the Canadian Coast Guard for over 100 years.

It has been described as a very unique place to visit, and to the avid bird watcher, it is heaven. During the nesting season it becomes home to thousands of pelagic birds. The most noted species is the Atlantic Puffin, but other species such as the Razorbill Auk , and Common and Arctic Terns add to the viewing enjoyment.

There are approximately to 5000 pairs of puffins, 1000 pairs of razorbill auks, and 500 pairs of common murres. Common and artic terns may be seen as well, they used to nest here, but in recent years they have not. Nobody understands why. Other birds which may be seen on the trip out to the island are Shearwaters (greater, sooty, manx), Wilson Storm Petrels, Phalaropes, Jeagers (pomarine, parasitic) Northern Gannet, Black Guillemots and Eider Ducks.

Access to the island is very limited. Sea Watch Tours is permitted to land 15 people a day, six days a week. ;Sea Watch Tours is the only company in Canada with access to Machias Seal Island. Those who land on the island are taken by the first mate ( Durlan ), to an orientation area, where he will explain to you the rules and regulations of the sanctuary. He will be your guide while you visit the island. He will escort you to enclosed blinds where you can view the birds close up, the puffins will come within 3 -6 feet from your blind, lots of chances for great photographs. The puffins can also be viewed from our skiff. This is a 16′ outboard motor boat which is used to shuttle people shore. We’ll take you around Machias Seal Island and call the puffins for you. After many years of dedicated observation, Captain Wilcox has learned to call puffins.

Don’t be surprised if one wants to join you in the skiff! Seals, being curious in nature, will make their presence known as well. After leaving the island, we’ll visit a nearby seal colony for more great pictures!

NOTE: LANDING IS AT YOUR OWN RISK

Landing on Machias Seal Island requires physical agility. You must transfer from our 45’ vessel into our 16’ skiff and upon landing at Machias, you may have to walk across very slippery, seaweed covered, rocks to the footpath leading to the orientation area. Landing on Machias Seal Island requires favourable sea conditions.  Unsafe sea conditions will result in cancellation of the tour.  

What could be more enjoyable than the smell of salt air, sunshine and losing track of the number of whales you’ve seen. New Brunswick has “more whales, more often” and we don’t want you to be disappointed! We specialize in a relaxed atmosphere aboard our vessel, with lots of one-to-one contact between our customers,

Captain Wilcox and Mate Durlan.

We’ll provide you with interesting information and courteous service and be prepared to answer all your questions.

As we leave the dock and head for the prime whale watching grounds, we’ll travel out among the inner islands, beyond White Head Island to open water. This is the area where our trained eyes will begin looking for the familiar flocks of seabirds and blows of humpback and finback whales.

The sea birds, humpback and finback whales share a food source – herring. We’re sure you will be adding to your bird list as we point out shearwaters, petrels, razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes, phalaropes, jeagers, gannets, murres or puffins! The birds sighted will, of course, depend on that particular species migration habits. As we continue our charted course we’ll expect to see humpback whales or the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Perhaps you will be the one to spot the first whale! You’ll need lots of time to take in all you’ll see, so we allow plenty of time with the whales. The variety of sightings will depend on the abundance and location of feed and the ebb and flow of the tides and we’ll be careful to follow the guidelines set out in the “Whale watching code of ethics”

After 50 years of successful tours, our knowledge of the area and the whales habits leave little doubt that someone will be saying, “‘Thar she blows!” Is it a humpback, finback, minke, northern right, porpoise or dolphin? Perhaps a basking shark or some tuna will also join us. Captain Wilcox and Mate Durlan will take great pleasure in identifying them for you and ensuring that your tour makes memories to last a lifetime. If you would like more information on Bay of Fundy Whales, check out the “Fundy Whales site“

 

Tour # 1 – Puffins | Machias Seal Island

These tours begin June 25th and continue until July 31st

This tour requires an overnight stay on Grand Manan.  When the tour departs at 7:00am, you must be on Grand Manan the night before.  When the tour departs at 1:00pm, it will not return until 6:30pm.  The last ferry from Grand Manan leaves at 7:15pm.  It is a 20 minute drive from our dock to the ferry terminal in North Head.  If there is space available, it may be possible to leave on that ferry, however, we recommend making overnight plans.

This tour is approximately 5 1/2 hours long.  Departure times are subject to change due to weather conditions. If we cannot land due to poor sea conditions, the price will be adjusted accordingly.  For those going ashore, we try to give you one hour in the blind, but this can vary depending on landing/sea conditions.

An alternative to going ashore would be to go around the island in the skiff (16′ boat).  We can take 15 people ashore each day, and up to 5 in the skiff.  All 20 people go to the island in the large boat.  After arriving at the island, the skiff is used to transport the 15 people ashore, then the other 5 are taken in the skiff for 50-60 minutes.  The same number of birds can be seen, and usually the puffins are 12-20 feet from the skiff, and sometimes closer, depending on the sea conditions.

Anyone booked for the skiff is automatically on the waiting list for any available shore spots, in order of the date they booked.

The Puffin Tour is $195/person, all ages, tax included.

Reservations must be held with a Visa or Mastercard number.  Nothing is charged to your card at the time of booking.  Final payment is made on the boat, during the tour, and can be made with Visa, Mastercard, cash (US or Cdn), or debit.  Please have your form of payment with you on the tour.

Cancellations must be received at least 7 days in advance.  Late cancellations and no shows will be charged 100% of the tour price.  If your tour must be cancelled due to poor weather/sea conditions, nothing will be charged to your card.

 To check availability and/or reserve your tour, just click on “Reserve Here” at the top of the page.

 

Tour # 2 – Whale Watching | Pelagic Birding

This tour is 4 – 5 1/2 hours in length, depending on the whales’ location.  These tours begin July 3rd and continue until September 30th. Departure time from July 1st until July 31st will be at 8:00am or 1:00pm, depending on the departure time for our puffin tour.  As always, this tour is “Whales guaranteed or your tour is free!”

Beginning August 1st, until September 30th, the tour will leave at 12:00pm, (with a few exceptions).  After September 10th, a minimum of 12 adults are required to operate a tour.  Every effort is made to ensure the promptness of your tour. Cancellations must be received at least 24 hours before tour departure.

The Whale Watching Tour is $95/adult, $75/child 12 and younger, tax included.

Reservations must be held with a Visa or Mastercard number.  Nothing is charged to your card when you make your booking.  Payment is made on the boat, during the tour, and can be made with Visa, Mastercard, cash (US or Cdn), or debit.  Please have your form of payment with you on the tour.

Cancellations must be received at least 24 hours before the tour.  Late cancellations and no shows will be charged 100% of the tour price.  If your tour must be cancelled due to poor weather/sea conditions, nothing will be charged to your card.

 

 

The purpose of this code is to foster an environment of co-operation and trust among water-based tour operators for the protection and safety of the whales and other marine wildlife, and the safety and understanding of their passengers.

We agree to abide by this code for the protection and preservation of whales within our waters.

Definitions

A vessel will be defined as either a motorized vessel or a kayak group. A kayak group is defined as no more than 10 kayaks paddling in a co-ordinated group.

• We agree that the first vessel to locate a whale or group of whales will have first viewing priority. The vessel is under no obligation to announce the location of the whales to other operators. We agree that no more than two vessels will view a whale or group of whales at a time within 100m of the whale or group. If the whales are traveling, the viewing vessels will maintain a respectable distance to avoid herding the animals.
• We agree that a maximum of 30 minutes will be spent viewing a whale or group of whales if more than two vessels are in the immediate vicinity. Passengers will be informed that we are moving off to allow other vessels to view the whale and that we must avoid crowding the animals and endangering their safety. Motorized vessels will also take care not to crowd or endanger the safety of kayakers.
• We agree to move off from any whale that is demonstrating avoidance behaviour such as turning away or increasing speed.
• We agree that all operators will stand-by on a designated VHF radio channel for purposes of communication when one vessel is viewing or waiting to view a more than whale or group of whales, and we will co-ordinate the selection of the channel with whale watch vessels from other areas in the Bay of Fundy.
• We agree that vessels when approaching another vessel already engaged in whale watching will contact that vessel and arrange viewing priority.
• We agree to keep a fair distance when waiting our turn to view so as not to crowd the whale or viewing vessels. While waiting our turn to view we will engage in other activities such as sea bird and seal viewing, or conservation education.
• We agree that when vessels are stopping to listen for whale blows in the fog that as a courtesy other vessels in the immediate vicinity will do the same.
• We agree to cover different areas as much as possible so that not all vessels will be converging on the same location.
• We agree that in the vicinity of fixed fishing gear we will practice caution to avoid steering or herding whales in the direction of the gear
• We agree that we will commit to education the public and other boat operators about the conservation of whales and the preservation of the marine ecosystem. We recognize that adherence to this code demonstrates our care and concern for whale conservation.
• We agree to re-assess this code of ethics annually and update as needed.

 

— Dated March 17, 1997