Whale Watching Grand Manan Island
Is it Worth it?
We just spent two glorious weeks traveling the Canadian maritime provinces filled with delicious lobster rolls, heaping mounds of poutine, and gorgeous cliffs cascading into the Atlantic Ocean. And while the food and the scenery were 10/10, no notes…we were also there for the wildlife. Namely, the puffins and the WHALES.
I scoured the Internet to figure out which locale offered the best whale watching (shoutout to East Coast Mermaid’s blog for the AMAZING maritime recs!) & settled on one island in the Bay of Fundy known for more than regular sightings of these beautiful sea rascals….Grand Manan Island.
But…until we set off on our tour, the question lingered in our minds…will this be worth it? Is the Lambert Family Adventures whale tour worth the additional cost of traveling off the New Brunswick coast? I’m sharing all of the details, including cost and logistics, and my thoughts on the experience to help you decide for yourself whether this tour is right for your maritime itinerary!
Our experience was not sponsored (we paid full price!), but this post does contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a small commission if you choose to book (at no additional cost to you).
Grand Manan Location
Grand Manan is off the coast of New Brunswick & it requires a 1.5-hour ferry ride each way to make the crossing (read below for ferry rates!). You must arrive 45 minutes early or you will forfeit your ticket reservation, so keep this in mind when deciding on your itinerary!
The gorgeous location of Grand Manan is one of the main reasons we settled on this location for our whale watching adventures. The island is beautiful & secluded, with just enough dining options to allow for a well-fed respite away from the busy mainland life. Plus, the whale watching from the coast alone is enough to recommend an excursion here! We visited several beaches and saw whales from nearly every single one of them.
Whale Watching Options
The cost for the whale watching experience is a bit more expensive on Grand Manan than it is on the mainland…BUT we still decided to book because of the rave reviews, deep access to the Bay of Fundy, & the more intimate Zodiac tour experience. Here are the details of the costs we paid:
Whale Watching Tour:
Lambert Family Adventures - this is the tour we decided on based on their incredible reviews (& a recent breach video from East Coast Mermaid taken days before we arrived!) AND their Zodiac boat that provides a much more intimate, quicker experience
Sea Watch Tours - this is the other tour option on Grand Manan. While we did not choose this option, it is the more economical choice for whale-watching on the island.
Watching from Land: You can see whales from the land on Grand Manan during whale watching season! We saw whales all along the eastern shore of Grand Manan, mostly near Castalia. We pulled over at the beach access/playground/baseball field at 473 Route 776 in Grand Manan & watched whales with our binoculars for an hour around sunset.
Watching from the Ferry: This is likely the first place you’ll spot a whale on your Grand Manan experience. We saw 2 humpbacks (& multiple porpoises!). Head to the top deck of the ferry & hang out to see what you see.
You can sign up to book your Lambert Family Adventure tour here! Our experience was entirely not sponsored & we booked it completely out-of-pocket.
Which Whale Watching Tour is Best?
Both of the whale watching options on Grand Manan offer different pros, but let me be clear: we LOVED our experience with Lambert Family Adventures & would highly recommend it!
Lambert Family Adventures
Zodiac-style boat allows for a more intimate (& incredible!) whale-watching experience. Taking a Zodiac can be a bit intimidating if you’re not used to being on boats, though, and you may need to consider whether or not the people you are going with can hold on easily. BUT, the Zodiac ensures Captain Matt can quickly transport you to the whale action! We were a little bit nervous about taking a Zodiac & we absolutely loved it!
Seasickness? We have had issues with seasickness in the past & did not experience any seasickness (& we didn’t take medication beforehand!).
Did we see whales?! YESSSSS. We saw 30-ish whales (humpbacks & finbacks), white-sided dolphins, & a variety of birds. We saw whales playing, slapping their tales & fins & swimming so close to the boat that their blowhole noises startled us.
Sea Watch Tours
Larger vessel that is less intimate (& slower), but does include a washroom & protected seating which may make it a better option for people with accessibility needs.
Because the vessel is larger, the tour cost is less for Sea Watch tours
Ultimately…
You have to weigh your own accessibility, financial, & washroom needs that will allow you to have the experience that best fits you. But, if you have the ability to join a Lambert Family Adventures tour, we would highly recommend it! The Zodiac experience truly allows you to get up close & personal with these amazing creatures (in a very respectful way - Captain Matt is careful not to disrupt the whale activity!).
You can sign up to book your Lambert Family Adventure tour here!
Cost
The cost for the whale watching experience is a bit more expensive on Grand Manan than it is on the mainland…BUT we still decided to book because of the rave reviews, deep access to the Bay of Fundy, & the more intimate Zodiac tour experience. Here are the details of the costs we paid:
Ferry Fee (ONLY assessed on return trip): $13.25 CAD per person for non-residents, $39.25 CAD per automobile for non-residents (discounts for groups, motorcycles, etc. can be found on the (ferry’s website here)
Lambert Family Adventure Tour: $157.30 CAD (~$113.20 USD) per adult (a discounted rate is available for children up to age 12 & seniors ages 65+)
Sea Watch Tour: $100 CAD per adult with a discounted rate for children under 12 (~$71.86 USD)
While Lambert Family Adventures is more expensive, the intimate experience gives you & up close & personal experience with the whales that makes the price difference worth it (in our opinion).
What to Bring
Honestly, you don’t need to bring a lot with you! But, here are a few things we brought:
Sunscreen: You don’t need to bring it with you, but make sure you put some on beforehand! The sun reflects off the water & you’ll want to ensure you are protected.
Wear Layers: It’s always cooler on the water, but you may also catch a warm day (like we did!) & you’ll be glad you wore some layers.
Shoes: Your shoes really don’t matter, but just make sure you are in something that will be warm enough AND will make you feel comfortable when you’re climing on/off the Zodiac.
Binoculars: This is not needed, but you’ll definitely be able to see more details if you bring a pair with you.
Camera/Lens: We brought our camera with us, along with a 100-400 lens. This lens was more than enough for what we needed & we were able to capture amazing photos with it. The whales were close enough that this was more lens than we needed, but the most playful whale was farther away, so we were happy to have the telephoto lens! Note that you are on a small boat, which means there may be some water spray. We placed our camera in a dry bag when not in use.
Dry bag: We tucked our phones, camera, & binoculars into a dry bag which allowed us peace of mind when moving.
Is it Worth It?
ABSOLUTELY YES, it is worth it!! If our wallets allowes, we would have turned right around & headed back out with Captain Matt the very next day.
Here are just a few caveats & tips:
There’s no guarantee in whale-watching. August & September are the best months for whale activity on the Bay of Fundy, one of the best spots in North America for whale-watching. Captain Matt communicates with other boaters & will work as hard as possible to get you to the action.
Have fun! This was such an incredible experience & we are so glad we made the decision to book it. I hope you enjoy it just as much as we did!
Hopefully this sounds like a good fit for you & you’ve decided it will be the perfect fit for your New Brunswick itinerary. If you’re ready to book the experience, you can book Lambert Family Adventures here.
This post, while not sponsored, does contain affiliate links! This means that if you choose to book the experience, I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). I only recommend this experience because I enjoyed it myself!
