ST. ANDREWS: Seals and salmon and whales, oh my!

[Don't worry! This entry isn't about eating them; it's about seeing them.]

Fog has always foiled our attempts to go whale watching in the Bay of Fundy, so we weren’t going to squander the stretch of sunshine this time.

Catamaran, Zodiac, tall ship and fishing boat are all options out of St. Andrews, N.B.

We went with Island Quest Marine and its cruiser but I think all of the whale-watching operations are pretty high quality.

Two crew members, one below who was driving and one above on the deck, were excellent guides of both the area and marine life.

As we set out of Passamaquoddy Bay and into the Bay of Fundy, we passed some seals and saw a few porpoises. It was too late in the season for puffins.

We cruised along for a while and just when I was getting nervous that we wouldn’t see anything, a few minke whales popped up in the distance.

Soon, we were blessed by a bounty of whales. Humpbacks were my favourite because they flip their tails before they dive deep.

But it’s hard not to be overshadowed by the finback, the world’s second biggest whale at up to 85 feet and and 80 tonnes. The day was so still that you could hear them coming up for air, clearing the water off their blowholes.

On the way back, we passed a few of the bay’s 100 salmon farms. The nets prevent salmon from jumping out, and from predators like birds and seals from getting in.

(If you look closely, you can see a fish jumping in the bottom left corner of the photo.)

We also saw a bald eagle atop a tree; New Brunswick’s endangered population is on the rebound.

As we headed back to town, the crew passed around refreshments including this lovely maple smoked salmon spread with cheddar cheese and crackers.

All in all, it was an incredible excursion — we saw all of that in 2.5 hours — that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend if you’re in the area on a nice day.