Family Wildlife Adventure from St. Johns - Double Occupancy

This Newfoundland Family Wildlife Adventure is a week of family fun and adventure on the eastern edge of North America. The new family vacation program is designed to engage, enrich, and entertain all generations.

During the days, you will join other traveling families and watch whales, measure giant squid, study puffins, walk through lighthouses, watch salmon jump in wild rivers, and visit science centres. During the evening, we can enjoy the hotel's swimming pool, take a haunted stroll through the new world's oldest European city, and enjoy a family bonfire on the beach.

You will experience the company of the world's largest gathering of humpback whales as they swim among some of the planet's most spectacular seabird reserves. You will explore the wonders of the ocean and flavors of the north. Caribou, moose, icebergs, and more add to the subarctic tales of ocean riches and adventure off Newfoundland and Labrador.

You're invited on this safe but thrilling adventure that will take your kids away from their computer and game screens and give them an unforgettable encounter with life and adventure...and their own family...in the natural world.

This package includes lodging and some of your meals. Please see the itinerary below for specifics.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive St. John's. Enjoy a presentation on the week's family adventure with internationally renowned marine educator David Snow. We let everybody settle in before providing a brief overview of the new world's first city and an review of our upcoming vacation plan. During the evening Dave will make sure everybody knows what it is like to be bitten by a shark and he will introduce the animals pursued for Viking wealth 1,000 years ago. Dave will also introduce you to the languages of the local whales. (Overnight St. John's)

Day 2: Join us for a visit to the continent's largest puffin colony. As a student biologist in 1979, Dave was tasked with counting the murres, puffins, gulls, and kittiwakes of this huge seabird reserve. Learn about these different colourful seabirds and help us provide an estimate of their numbers any way you can. How do you count 10 gazillion or is there a more accurate number we can figure out? Population estimates like this are an important way to figure out the health of the world's ocean.

This colony is the world's second largest storm petrel colony and the continent's second largest murre colony. We will see tens of thousands of seabirds with their chicks but since the petrels are nocturnal they may elude us. Numerous pelagic or offshore seabirds such as shearwaters and skuas also frequent the area. It will be fun trying to keep the kids busy watching (and counting) the hundreds of thousands ? or gazillions ? of seabirds since members of the world's largest gathering of acrobatic humpbacks will be trying to capture their attention too.

During lunch, Dave will review seabird censusing methods and you will join the other families for a sampling of the delicious seafood flavors from coastal Newfoundland and Labrador. (That is a fancy way of saying our lunch can be fish and chips or lobster or something else from our restaurant menu. Dave will talk a little. We will all still be having fun!)

The afternoon takes us to the most easterly point in North America where we wander tunnels, walk to a lighthouse, and look out for more whales. We should be back at the hotel for 4:00 pm so everyone can enjoy the swimming pool, parents can visit the gym, and everyone can relax before our welcoming dinner. Other than our farewell dinner, families will have the choice of going to one of the many downtown restaurants independently for the other evening meals.

Meals Breakfast, lunch, welcoming dinner (Overnight St. John's)

Day 3: The Salmonier Nature Park is a place where injured animals are rehabilitated and people are educated about wildlife. We take 90 minutes to wander its trails looking at the moose, caribou, lynx, arctic fox, eagles, and other Newfoundland and Labrador wildlife before continuing on for a picnic in the woods and a visit to a large, natural swimming hole. Next we learn about digital photography, view salmon returning from the ocean, and we visit a dramatic waterfall. We should be back at the hotel for 4:00 pm but if the kids are having fun at the swimming hole, we reserve the right to stay in the countryside a little longer.

Meals Breakfast, picnic lunch (Overnight St. John's)

Day 4: Today we visit the Geo Centre in St. John's and speculate about what we know about the ages of the earth from the rocks of the earth. Next we learn about an amazing ocean mystery - the giant squid. We view a specimen and review the known biology of this creature. How does it live? Who does it eat? What eats it? How much do we know? The physics of the squid propulsion system of siphons will be reviewed - are giant squid aggressive ocean predators eating fish, terrorizing small whales and occasionally eating swimmers, or are they giant deep water zooplankton that simply snare unlucky fish that happen to swim too close to their two predatory arms? We will view an actual giant squid dissected by Dave in 1981 and have the students do some simple but revealing measurements with us.

Next, we satisfy the youthful "need for speed" as our group enjoys a zodiac ride out to explore the dramatic coastline south of St. John's. We will use our time to enjoy the region's natural and geological wonders. We also plan on enjoying the company of more whales, puffins, and other wildlife. (We anticipate using a variety of zodiacs so kids will be able to photograph their new friends as they explore the sea stacks and whale spouts of the North Atlantic.)

Meals Breakfast, lunch (Overnight St. John's)

Day 5: Visit and learn about a salmon restoration project (fish ladder, counting trap) on the way to one of the world's most spectacular seabird colonies at Cape St. Mary's. Here we consider how to count a new variety of seabird - the gannet - and we study how they build their nests. With safety the overriding concern, we also try to count the site's murres and kittiwakes using the techniques we reviewed on Day 2. This site is the breeding ground for thousands of seabirds, including the continent's third-largest gannet colony and the world's most southerly breeding thick-billed murres. We get great views of gannets, kittiwakes, and murres with their eggs and/or chicks. The high sea cliffs serve as a perfect viewpoint to watch the whales cavort around their northern coastal feeding grounds. The driving on this day takes about four hours so we include a whale workshop that reviews the varieties of whale spotted over the program to date. What types did we see? How do they live? Why are they in Newfoundland? We look at and hold orca teeth, humpback baleen, other varieties of baleen, sperm whale teeth, whale bones, and other specimens as we ponder the whales of the world. We may return to our swimming hole and waterfalls if time allows.

Meals Breakfast, lunch (Overnight St. John's)

Day 6: Today we experience life on the edge. We travel to the edge of North America by sea and we take a coastal walk while looking at how glaciers and geology have shaped the land. We also enjoy some time at leisure so families can explore or shop independently. We all gather together for our farewell dinner.

Meals Breakfast, lunch, farewell Dinner (Overnight St. John's)

Day 7: We will provide you a convenient trip to the airport.

Meals Breakfast

FAQ

Q) What is the weather like?
A) Day-time summer temperatures can range from 10-25 °C (50-75 °F), while nights may go a few degrees lower. The weather is quite changeable, so be prepared. It is not unusual for people to wear T-shirts and shorts while viewing 15-storey-tall icebergs.

Q) What should I bring?
A) Along with the clothing you would regularly bring, take a warm sweater, raingear, light boots, and (very important) your camera and binoculars. Sunscreen is very important for boat trips as the sunlight reflects off the water. Your leaders carry field guides and local literature for you to enjoy during the tour.

Q) Will we see whales?
A) In season - late June to early August - visiting groups have always seen humpback whales. Often other whale species - minke, dolphin, fin - are also seen. There may be single days when whales elude you, but during this time the whale watching is the best in the world. Every summer there are days where guests see four to six species and dozens of individuals. Whales have been watched and studied since 1979 without incident, but there is always the possibility that climatic or oceanographic changes might cause a redistribution of these animals. No one can make promises for nature, but she has been very good to guests over the years.

Q) Are there any dangerous plants or animals?
A) Newfoundland does not have any snakes, other reptiles, skunks, poison ivy, poison oak, or ragweed. Lyme disease has not been found here. Common sense will prevent most problems. Occasionally groups will see black bears. Your guide will advise you on the best way to avoid these powerful animals, but common sense is still your most important asset. Mushroom lovers please note: Newfoundland has a wonderful and diverse mushroom fauna, but the indicators of safe mushrooms in Europe usually denote hazardous North American species. To be safe it is best to avoid picking them.

Q) Are there many flies and mosquitoes?
A) As with any wild place, there is a diversity of insect life. You spend most of your time in coastal areas where there are very few pests. Even when you go inland the flies are seldom a serious problem.

Q) I have vertigo. Will this be a problem? What about seasickness?
A) Although you do travel near some cliffs, you will not be required to walk close to a cliff edge at any point. You visit a spectacular gannet stack, which is also used for land-based whale watching. American writer Robert Finch said this about the place: "Here a person could go up to the very lip of oblivion with nothing to stop him but the will to live." You can, however, enjoy the wonders without going too close. In fact, a traditional ballad, Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's, inspired by this remote, rugged place is perhaps the most haunting song in the large repertoire of unique Newfoundland music. If you are prone to seasickness, you can still fully participate in this tour.

Q) How safe is the city?
A) St. John's people have a long tradition of welcoming visitors and providing world-famous hospitality. The city's roots go back over 500 years. Its rugged, sometimes bloody history has somehow shaped it into one of North America's most peaceful and friendly urban areas. St. John's boasts North America's lowest murder rate, and the urban parts of the entire province are protected by the last police force on the continent to carry firearms. (Despite the low crime rates and a decline in offences, the police succumbed to "pistol envy" in 1998 and became an armed force.) There is very little crime, but guests should always follow the basic rules of travel safety.

Q) How good are the tour leaders?
A) Your leaders boast a great mix of local experience and knowledge. Some are authors, others are professors, and all sport a unique mix of knowledge, humor, and training. Expect a qualified, remarkable, and fun traveling companion.

Q) What is the biggest challenge of these tours?
A) Our exotic location at the continent's eastern edge usually makes it necessary to book airline tickets early in order to select your choice of travel dates and receive the best airfare.

Included:
Four nights accommodations in the Quality Hotel or equivalent in St. John's, an experienced naturalist guide, all breakfasts and lunches, a gala farewell supper, ground and boat transportation, airport pick-up and drop-off.

Not Included:
Transportation to and/or from Newfoundland

Notes:
Meals are a highlight and feature Newfoundland specialties such as partridgeberry tarts and bakeapple pies. Note that the order of events may be changed to accommodate the weather and other possible participants. The May weather is usually excellent! Along the way you usually find some icebergs too!

30 DAYS MINIMUM ADVANCE BOOKING REQUIRED. Hotel pick ups are not included. Rates are in US Dollars. Please reserve online, or call us toll-free at 800-719-3312.