Whale Watching in Newfoundland and Labrador

There is nothing like face to face with a humpback whale and never have a better chance to experience this than in Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, you can get up close and personal with not less than twenty-two species of marine mammals in this region in Canada only. target = "_blank" title = "Muchmore Canada Magazine"> Muchmore Canada Magazine explores this beautiful place and details of what you can expect to see in a trip there.

Many of us have visited marine parks and see the whales and dolphins up close, such as orcas at Sea World, but there is no substitute for seeing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. We suppose the whales are more or less the same way too!

So what can you expect to see when visiting Newfoundland and Labrador? Well, a lot depends on when you visit, of course, like whales and other mammals are not year-round residents. Whales are usually visual between May and September, so it's just in time to book this trip.

If you're one of those people who do not have sea legs and think that it is not worth come as you "will not get into that boat," think again. Whales are so common here and many can be seen not only from ships at sea, but the land too. In fact you can even get a kayak and paddle with them if you dare.

What species can I do?

As mentioned earlier that there are twenty-two species of marine mammals off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. There are two types of baleen whales and teeth. As baleen whales have bristles plates instead of teeth. The structure is composed of keratin, the same substance found in hair, nails and horns and whales used to filter water and the capture of food. Toothed whales have a set of teeth used to capture and eat food.

Humpbacks: Whale most common here is the humpback whale (pictured on our cover) and Newfoundland and Labrador has the largest population of humpback whales feeding in the world. Humpback whales winter in the Caribbean and migrate north to the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in April and remain until October.

Humpback whales are baleen whales and adults can weigh 36,000 pounds and measures 12.15 meters. Females tend to weigh more than men and are longer. Adults can eat two tonnes of fish and planktonic crustaceans every day. They only feed during the summer, living off reserve in the winter months.

This species are known to catch fish with a bubble net feeding technique. This is where a number of humpback whales encircle a school of fish, while blowing air bubbles. The circle grows ever tighter forcing the fish in a small area, when suddenly the whales swim up through the catch thousands of fish in one bite.

Females give birth every two or three years and have a gestation period of 12 months. The calf will weigh around a tonne of birth and 3-5 meters in length. Usually they feed from their mothers during the first year.

Humpbacks are known for their skills acrobatic and can be seen jumping out of water – known as breeching – and fall backward, hitting the water. They are also the star of many picture when immersed underwater raising their tail fins in the air, as illustrated on one side.

Individual whales can be distinguished by their tail fins, as each is unique. This is rare among the whales making them one of the most species of study.

Minke whales: These whales have a distinctive narrow, triangular shaped head and are one of the smallest baleen whales. They are very fast in the water reaching speeds of 16-21 miles per hour.

They can be seen in the bays of Newfoundland and Labrador, but spend most of their time underwater, so it may be harder to detect. They are, however curious and often approach the boats and swim to him. They are more common in summer and early fall.
Adult males measure around 8-9 meters in length and females slightly, to 8.10 meters. And weighs about 10 tons and feed on krill and small fish.

Females give birth once every two years and calves measuring about 3 meters and weight of 450 kg at birth. It nurse for about six months.

Pilot Whale: This whale is actually a member of the dolphin family and is very intelligent and second in size only to the orca or killer whale. They swim in large groups of a hundred people and are very social. They a round distinctive bulbous head with a long body and thick. Unlike the two previous species have discussed the male pilot is larger than the female about 6 feet long and weighing than three tons. The female is about 5 meters and weighs only 1.5 tons.

Pilot whales are toothed whales, but they only have 40-48 teeth compared to the 120 more or less common in other species of dolphins. They feed mainly on squid, but they also eat octopus, cuttlefish and other small fish, such as herring.

Females give birth only every 3-5 years and calves are usually about 1.8 meters long and weigh 100 kg at birth, the nurse about two years.

Pilot whales can be seen in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador during the summer and early fall.

Finback Whales: Whales are enormous and the second largest whale in the world. They have very distinctive lower jaw with the right color from white or yellow cream and black mottled left. The colors are invested in their language.

These whales tend to be farther from the coast of most species and thus can only be seen from a boat, usually in small groups of 5-8 people.

Adult males grow to about 24 feet long and weigh between 50-70 tonnes. Females give birth every three to four years and the calf nurses for 6-8 months.

Blue Whale: This whale is a mammal largest that ever lived on earth. Adults can reach lengths of over 30 meters, but are generally between 23-25 meters. The largest ever found was 33 meters long. Females are larger and can weigh up to 150 tonnes compared to around 100 tonnes for men.

Surprisingly for an animal so large that feed on small fish and krill, but they have to eat about four tons per day which equates to about 40 million krill a day.

Females give birth every two or three years to a calf weighing tons and measuring 8 meters. Calves are weaned at around 8 months at which about 23 tonnes weight.
The best time to look at a blue whale in Newfoundland and Labrador is in the autumn and winter.

Orca: Also commonly known as the killer whale, killer whales are seen off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador during the summer months.

These are probably some of the most known whale with its distinctive black and white. Each whale has its own distinctive markings making each identifiable individual. This makes another well-studied species. The dorsal fin is also very distinctive and can reach 1.8 meters in length and is a form of right triangle in men and a curved triangle in females and young males. Orcas in captivity seem to lose the rigidity of their dorsal fin which allows you to lean to one side. This phenomenon is not observed in nature.

Orcas are toothed whales and feed on small animals, including seals, sharks, penguins and other smaller whales. Males can reach some less than 10 meters long and weigh about 9 tons. Women are much smaller at about 8 meters with an average weight of four tons. They give birth every 3-5 years and the calf will be about two meters in length.

The summer months are the best time to spot whales off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Blanco-Los Dolphins: These playful dolphins can often be seen jumping out of the water and ride the waves. They tend to be found in large groups of a few dozen to several hundred.
The belly is white dolphin, gray sides and bottom black. It has a black beak and a black eye ring and a yellow spot on the back of the dorsal fin what is a very attractive color dolphin. They tend to be around 2-2.5 meters long and weigh about 150 kg.

They feed on squid and small fish as herring and tend to feed at night. Females give birth every two or three years and the calf is usually about one meter in length.

Porpoise: This little dolphin is not easily seen, as it tends to stay under the waves and the boats do not look like many other dolphins do. They tend to stay close the coast, making them easily studied and easily hunted. They blow hard sound when breaking the water to breathe.

They are dark gray with white belly and is about 1.5 meters long and weigh about 60 kg with women being bigger than males.

They feed on small fish and have to consume about 10% of their body weight each day.
Other species: There are many other species that can be detected on the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, as the of white-beaked dolphins, Bowhead Whale, Beluga whales and sperm whales.

How do

There are many tour operators boat along the coast, offering the opportunity to see whales. They are experienced and can almost guarantee you will see the whales and can answer any questions you have on the road.

It is not uncommon for whales and dolphins in particular to swim alongside a boat to reach this point of view special.

You can also join a kayaking tour and get up close and personal with wildlife. Always use a qualified operator if you want to get close to whales and dolphins and kayaking can be very dangerous and the guides are trained to give you an enjoyable experience and save.
As mentioned before, those of you who just can not take a boat trip usually see a bunch of whales simply walking along the coast. Some of the best viewing sites are from Signal Hill, Cape Spear, Cape San Francisco, Trinidad, Cape Bonavista, Twillingate, White Bay, Strait of Belle Isle, San Vicente, Cape Santa Maria, Cape Race, Witless Bay, and Groswater Bay.

About the Author

Jane Toombes is owner/editor of Muchmor Canada Magazine. Muchmor is a free online magazine aimed at anyone who loves living the Canadian lifestyle. www.readmuchmor.com

Kayaking with Dolphins