Driving into Cape Breton, we began to see signage popping up about puffin tours. Well, this had certainly not occurred to me. What an exciting addition to our itinerary!
We had flexibility. Donelda’s Puffin Tour had seats on the morning of our departure. Serendipitous, it would seem.
Donelda said to meet her on the wharf in Englishtown. There was only one, so that was easy. Her tiny shack was shut. We saw no sign of a guide-type, so we waited.
There were a few small boats tied off and just a handful of people. We chatted with a lovely fellow from Moncton, New Brunswick; a trio from near Toronto. The group gathered on the dock grew considerably larger as tour time drew near.
Also growing was consternation over the size of the group and the size of the boat! Inexplicably, The Highland Lass held 40, and wasn’t too crowded. Donelda and her captain ferried us to a tiny pair of breeding islands about six miles off shore.
On the way, we enjoyed bald eagles up close, dropping by for breakfast. The temperature also dropped. I was glad to have my windbreaker!
Rounding on the islands at last, suddenly birds were everywhere — including hundreds of Atlantic puffins and at least as many razorbills. We were fortunate, in fact, as razorbills were on the verge of departure (spending most of their lives out to sea).
At first the puffins were difficult to distinguish from the razorbills, whether bobbing on the sea or swooping through the air. Between the boat rocking and all the birds flying and dark plumage against the rolling seas and gray skies, it was a tough job to snap a few decent shots.
Circumnavigating both islands, we saw many more bald eagles, plus great black-backed gulls, herring gulls, black-legged kittiwakes, razorbills, black guillemots, double-crested cormorants, great cormorants, bank swallows, great blue herons, and a dozen or more grey seals.
Reportedly, also great white sharks in the area, snacking on seals … which I was okay not to see!
As anticipated, puffins were the star of the show. Smaller than I’d expected, with tell-tale bright orange feet and beaks blazing for breeding season, they were ever so cute.
Taking off they seem quite clumsy, as if they need a running start. In flight, they drop sharply to land, reminding me quite a lot of the toucans in Costa Rica. Their nests were high in the cliffs, burrowed into soft earth near the surface.
It was quite a thrill to see all of these birds in their natural habitat. Donelda was an excellent guide, informational on the species on display. Getting out on the water proved a most pleasant way to spend a half-day. What a treat!
Shortly after noon, we were back on the road, retracing our route through Baddeck — fresh seafood lunch, if you please. I’d have liked one more night on the highlands island. But not this time.
Soon we were on our way to Alma, NB. A much later start than planned or preferred, a bit of misadventure yet ahead. All in all, it’d be a rather long day. But those beautiful birds were worth it!
Thanks for joining the journey.
~ Sincerely, Sondra
