Whale watching in NS
 

We are staying at a cottage between Lunenburg on the Atlantic ocean side and Digby on the Bay of Fundy and are wondering if anyone has a suggestion as to which place would be better to head to for whale watching - this is the one activity my 8yo really wants to do. Thanks!

I'm assuming you are going this summer....

Most definitely the Bay of Fundy. If you could get down to Brier Island it would even be better.

cheers

Jerry

Agree that Brier Island on the Bay of Fundy is famous for whale-watching. I haven't taken the tours out of Brier, but have taken them from Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick which is also located in the Bay, and I understand that the Brier Island tours go to the same general area. We had very upclose encounters with Humpback whales, and saw several other species plus lots of pelagic (sea) birds and dolphins. Of course there is some luck involved in seeing whales, plus there is some seasonality to this activity and the types of whales that are seen at different times in different locales. That kind of information should be available on the web.

Either would do, but keeping your 8 year old in mind, you will find there is more on offer in Lunenburg.

Here is a link to the Bluenose II Museum and the Tours on the boat istelf...if you have time, you should get hold of a copy of the Doers and Dreamers Guide, too. Lots of stuff for kids...
museum.gov.ns.ca/fma/faq.html

We are leaving Ontario for NS a week from tomorrow and will be there for a week.
We have plans to go into Lunenburg one day to explore, we also wanted to go to Mahone bay and peggy's cove - I also want the kids to see the tides in the bay of fundy. The 8yo is a great traveller - with a brother so much older then him he's been taken everywhere and participated in lots of things from swimming with sea turtles and snorkelling off the back of a boat in the ocean to canoeing in Algonquin.
We found one whale watching cruise that leaves from Digby - anyone know anything about this one? We don't want to go too far away from the cottage (according to mapquest Digby is 1 hr 45 mins from where we are staying) because we are travelling with our dog and he will get left at the cottage the day we go whale watching.
Any other suggestions of things we 'must see' that are easily accessible from the central area we are in?
Thanks!

Thats hard to answer without knowing where you are...you have mentioned 'doing' Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg all in one day, if I have understood you correctly, so I guess you are on the South Shore?

You mentioned being between Lunenburg and Digby, so sounds like you are inland. Peggy's Cove is a scenic stop great to see but you won't spend a whole lot of time there so you might want to include it as part of a day-trip to Mahone Bay or Lunenburg. There are a number of gorgeous beaches along the Atlantic coast which are super for beachcombing, birdwatching, etc - and some are undeveloped and often quite unpopulated, especially on weekdays. Examples include Carter's Beach (near Port Mouton), Cherry Hill Beach (at low tide otherwise narrow), Louis Head Beach, but you might especially like Kejimkujik NP Seaside Adjunct which is accessible by an easy hiking trail about 2 km long, and is undeveloped coastline, seal colonies just offshore, etc. Summerville Beach is more developed but also nice. Driving along the lighthouse route (get off the main highways and hug the coast) is pleasant and picturesque, quaint fishing villages and coastal scenery.
Cities might not be part of your plan for this vacation, but Halifax is a really nice small city if you have the inclination for a day trip there. The compact downtown includes the Citadel fortress and the vibrant Harbour district with Market, museums, tall ships, shops and boardwalk.

That all sounds great - The cottage we are staying at is on Sherbrooke lake - not too far from New Ross.

Would it be possible to do Lunenburg, Mahone bay and Peggy's cove all in one day or would that be too much?

Are there markets to get fresh fish? Kids might not appreciate it but dh and I will!!

The answer to your questions is yes.
also I found extremely good quality fish at the supermatkets SOBEYS and Atlantic SUPERSTORES.
also you are bound to see many fish-peddlers along your roads - here quality excellent & prices a little cheaper.
Enjoy your trip

Check out Wolfville for a day. Halls Harbour - great lobster dinner on the wharf. Here you will experience the extreme low tides. In the Valley there is also Oak Lawn Farm - kinda a zoo of sorts. Stop in at the Tangled Gardens - wonderful handmade products such as jams, jellies and so much more. There is also Grand Pre which has the history of the explusion of the Acadians and home of Evangeline. Up the road from Grand Pre, there is a beach and campground. Canning - there is a lookoff and hiking trails. Lots to keep you busy for a day.

Ask someone locally about getting fresh fish. In Cape Breton we once went down to the harbour in the village as the fishing boats were coming in (someone told us what time to aim for) and bought a couple of the Queen Crabs they were unloading (you may be in the wrong place and season for these, but something will be fresh). Some villages have small fish/seafood retail stores down near the docks.

You can 'do' Lunenburg and Mahone Bay in one day, they are only 10 minutes apart. There is much for you and your son to see in Lunenburg with the Bluenose II and the museum and all.

I can only speak of Lunenburg when it comes to fresh fish NOT from a supermarket: the truck pull(ed-I ahave been away all summer!) into the lot across from the Knot Pub on Thursday mornings from Gold River Fish Market and their fish is (mostly) fresh-they carry some frozen haddock cakes and such.

Peggy's Cove is quite a bit further north and may be worth combining with a visit to Halifax...you are about an hour and half from the city and to my mind it would be a shame to come to NS and NOT see Hali...its a lovely town with much history and a great harbour with lots of kid-appeal. That may make up for the visit to Peggy's Cove, very dull for a kid, all picturesque scenery except for the Swissair disaster references and thats hardly vacation stuff for an 8-year-old.

Again, I strongly reccomend getting the Doers and Dreamers Guide-it will answer ALL the questions you have and suggest dozens of things to do in your area.

Bck again, in case you haven't left yet: just caught up with this tip for eats and music on Chowhound.

"Make reservations, a must, at Chez Christophe's in Grosses Coques.
It's on the Acadian Shore about half-way between Yarmouth & Digby.
You will not have a better meal or value during your trip with some fine Acadian music too if you schedule it right.
http://www.chezchristophe.ca/
"

Wow - great information everyone thanks!!
We haven't left yet..... we are planning on leaving at 1am this Saturday the 26th - easier to drive while the boys and dog sleep - dh is good to drive!!
We are thinking now we definatly want to check out Halifax one day - my 8yo and 14yo found out from looking on the internet that there are things to see regarding the titanic there - they've both been interested in it since we went to see the exhibit at the toronto Science centre last fall. So now my morbid children want to go visit a cemetary on our holidays.... not sure how I got such strange children - most 'normal' children would want to go to a theme park or somewhere else exciting. My kids.... we go to Ottawa and they want to look at the parliament buildings and Halifax and they want to go to a cemetary!!
Can't wait - 4 days till our adventure begins!!

Halifax is a great city to roam. The boys would definitely like Citadel Hill. Be there for noon when they shoot the cannon. The Harbour Hopper is a great way to see the city from both land/sea as well as get a bit of history about various landmarks. Have an order of fries in front of the library on Spring Garden Road and do some people watching. The kids will love the Freakbox Luncheon on Barrington St - lots of candy to choose from.

I did the whale watch from both Digby & Brier Island. I believe they both go to the same spot to view. The ride from Digby is longer on the boat to get to the whale watching area. I enjoyed my drive to Brier island, you take two ferries, but it was long so this summer I will go out again from Digby. For me it is more fun to spend the time on a boat than in a car. I saw plenty of whales from both departure locations! Enjoy.