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Donelda's Puffin Boat Tours

1099 HWY 312, Englishtown, Nova Scotia B0C1H0, Canada
1-902-929-2563
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Type: Boat Tours
Owner description: Donelda's Puffin Boat Tours is one of the 100 Must-See Destinations in Unforgettable Atlantic Canada! On the 2 1/2 - 3 hour boat tour you'll be amazed... more » Owner description: Donelda's Puffin Boat Tours is one of the 100 Must-See Destinations in Unforgettable Atlantic Canada! On the 2 1/2 - 3 hour boat tour you'll be amazed at the beautiful rock formations on the way to the Islands , a stop to look at an old seacave as well as a stop or two to feed some Bald Eagles. The Bird Islands are home to Grey Seals, Bald Eagles ,Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds. Our vessel, Highland Lass has ALL removable windows down both sides ( refit 2012 ) for easy viewing and taking pictures from the comfort of your seat. « less
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70 reviews from our community

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Papendrecht , Netherlands
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 April 2013

Just seconds away from the ferry at Englishtown you'll find this small birding tour provider. We decided to go for it when we arrived in Englishtown , didn't make reservations in advance , and that was no problem..We had to wait on the dock untill the boat left for Hertford Island and Ciboux Island. Donelda gives plenty of information during... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 February 2013

Definitely make time for this tour if you can! Donelda gives an informative bird tour, and also explains the occupation of lobster fishing. In addition to seeing puffins, eagles, seals, and a number of other bird species, the scenic views of the channel on the way out to Bird Islands are just spectacular. The boat is enclosed with windows, which... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Toronto, Canada
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 September 2012

We didn't make it in time for the puffins which didn't matter to us because we came for the Eagles. It was THE best money that we spent in a long time. We weren't far from the dock when the boat when Donelda called our attention to the Eagle that was flying out to the boat . We stopped and... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Newark, New Jersey
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 September 2012

I've been a birder for the past 42 tours and have taken many different tours in Canada, Unites States and Europe and this was by far the best . Donelda explains things so that all can understand and relate to . She continually moves from one end of the boat to the other pointing the different birds out .She has... More

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Chicago, Illinois
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 September 2012

We had a wonderful experience on the tour. It rained the entire time but we still made it out and managed to see a number of puffins. Puffins are a lot smaller than I expected. We were able to see over 100 puffins from very far away as our boat was not able to get too close due to the... More

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Belfast, Maine
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 September 2012

Donelda knows birds, gives an excellent tour, and throws fish to eagles who watch for her boat -- which provides terrific photo ops as the magnificent raptors swoop down, talons outstretched, to grab their lunch!

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Neptune, New Jersey
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 August 2012

A rainy day, and too late to see puffins - you would think that would mean a disappointing trip. But you would be wrong. We saw dramatic granite cliffs, caves and rock formations, bald eagles swooping, seals circling the boat, cormorants drying their wings in the wind, and we smelled the fresh sea air. The rugged coast and windswept islands... More

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Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 August 2012

This tour was a real highlight of my vacation. Sadly, the season for puffins was mostly finished this year (they were gone earlier than normal) but even with only spotting a few puffins the tour was great. We saw many, many seals, birds and bald eagles. They'll even feed the bald eagles so you can watch them dive down to... More

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Sherman, Connecticut
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 August 2012

Very knowledgeable commentary. Experienced captain. Plenty of time spent at the Islands to view the birds. They were truthful about our chances of seeing Puffins, which are now scarce as most of them have gone to sea. We did see four birds swimming and the captain was able to get close enough for us to take good photos with simple... More

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Truro, Canada
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 August 2012

As this was my first time going on a bird watching ( or any type of ocean going) tour i really don't know what is "normal " for this type of thing, however if they are all like this one I definitely need to do more. The tour was amazing!! We saw lots of birds : mainly Eagles , cormorants,blue... More

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