Frequently Asked Questions

A very common question. What kinds, or species, of whales we will see will depend on many factors, including; the time of season, the weather and where your captain is willing to take you. The time of season is very important. In our section of the Bay of Fundy, typically minke whales are the first species to arrive (usually around mid-June), the finbacks are next (usually around the beginning of July) and then the humpbacks (usually around mid-August but sometimes as early as the beginning of July).

The weather, another factor we have no control over. Sometimes the weather may dictate where we go, if it’s too windy or foggy we may not to be able to travel to the “offshore area”, where we usually see the larger whales like finbacks and humpbacks. Minke whales are usually more common in the inshore, protected areas and when the weather is bad, the inshore area may remain calm and relatively warm. Please feel free to check on the weather forecast the evening before your trip but all trips aren’t decided upon until about 30 minutes prior to departure.

The one factor we can control is where we choose to take our passengers. If the weather co-operates, and the season is right for larger whales, like finbacks and humpbacks, sometimes there is a choice where to go. There are many times when there are whales about 10 miles from St. Andrews and whales 16-20 miles from St. Andrews and at these times we may have the choice to stop and stay at the first whales we see……or go further. With Quoddy Link Marine, we always go further. To tell you the truth, we want to see the finbacks and humpbacks as well. If we can show our passengers finbacks and/or humpbacks over minke whales, we will try. We will also try to leave boat traffic behind, it’s not the best viewing experience to have too many boats with the whales and more importantly, it’s not good for the whales either.

Yes, but binoculars are not great for watching whales, they are mainly used for looking at stationary objects like seals on rock and bald eagles in trees. We do use binoculars when looking for whales in the distance. When looking for whales we have to look for blows, or “spout”, which can be seen from a few miles away on a clear day. The best advice we can give is bring your binoculars if you would like, but when we are watching whales, put them down and use your eyes, otherwise you will miss a lot of the experience.

Of course you can!  If I can offer any advice it’s to always remember to take the time to watch the whales (and all wildlife) with your eyes FIRST, don’t spend the entire trip looking through your view finder or at your phone screen. And never, ever regret a missed photo if you saw it with your eyes. I also recommend trying to photograph from both decks if possible as your images will be very different depending if you are at water level or 10 feet up on the upper deck.  Make sure to bring an extra battery and memory card if you have them (charging is available if you have the adapter).  

Layers, layers, LAYERS. We can’t stress this enough. Even if it’s beautiful and warm on land in St. Andrews please bring warm layers (coat, pants, sweatshirt….hat and mittens even, it’s cold on the open Bay of Fundy). There is no quicker way to ruin a trip then to be cold and we do have some blankets on board but please dress warmly. Also, sunscreen is essential, when on the water we get hit twice, once from the sun, and again from the reflection off the water.

Yes, in fact the catamaran is the only whale watching boat in St. Andrews that is wheelchair accessible. People in wheel chairs can stay in their chair and be wheeled onboard, once onboard they can move freely from one side of the boat to the other. Unfortunately, our washroom is not wheelchair accessible.

YES, there is a modern, electric washroom on the Quoddy Link.

No, there is not a snack bar on the boat but feel free to bring along a light snack, or even a small cooler. It is a good idea to at least bring along a bottle of water. Please, no alcohol, we are not licensed. We do provide a small treat, typically served on the ride back to St. Andrews.

The Quoddy Link holds 46 passengers and 3 crew but actually there is room for over 70 passengers, the numbers are kept down for comfort and viewing. There is a large upper deck that can accommodate 35 people, seating runs down the middle of the boat so on the lower deck everyone can stand at the sides and have a clear view out an open window. It’s essential that the windows open, to hear the whales and smell, yes…SMELL them, is all part of the experience. There is covered seating for 46, and the windows can be closed, so in case of rain, EVERYONE will stay dry.

There are 2 guides and 1 captain, aboard the Quoddy Link, all with first aid and all crew have a Marine Emergency Duties course.

Definitely, the boat is fantastic for families. We do ask that all children are accompanied by an adult when on the upper deck, and on the stairs, at ALL times, and there is absolutely no running allowed on the boat. The Bay of Fundy is big and we must respect it, so please be safe. We do have first aid but we don’t want to have to use it. If someone gets hurt we may be over an hour from port, so again, please be safe. As for infants, you are more than welcome to bring a stroller on the boat, there is plenty of room.

Rain, yes, the whales are already wet, they don’t care if it’s raining. Fog….it depends. Some seasons the whales will set patterns and we can locate them relatively easy in the fog. Sometimes the fog will clear in areas where some whales are and sometimes it’s just TOO foggy. Thunderstorms, NO. With all weather, our captain will make an informed decision about 30 minutes prior to departure. The weather can change very quickly on the Bay of Fundy and it can also differ greatly from St. Andrews to where we have to go to see whales. Feel free to call the day before for a weather outlook but again, no decision will be made until 30 minutes prior to departure. We thank you in advance for your patience if weather becomes a factor.

This is a question we get quite a bit during the season. No one, no matter what you may be told, can guarantee you a whale sighting. The Bay of Fundy is a wild and natural environment and the wildlife within this environment travel and feed on their own schedule, NOT OURS. What I can guarantee you is that I have worked for Quoddy Link Marine since 2002 and not once have either of my captains taken the “easy way out”. What I mean by that is sometimes we have to search for whales, sometimes we have to search hard, but that is what we do. On occasion there may be a whale in the “inshore” area (a protected area closer to St. Andrews), but this whale may come with some boat traffic. If the weather is good enough and we can take you further to look for whales “offshore” (an area 15+ nm from St. Andrews) then we go further. This is why our trips vary in length (2.5-3.5 hours), it is the only way to consistently see the larger whales offshore, and, as I mentioned, this is a changing environment.  Quoddy Link Marine has also been in operation since 1995 and therefore has many years of experience searching for whales on the Bay of Fundy and we have a 95-100% success rate during the past seasons.

NO, we don’t touch or feed the whales, we can’t “call them with a whistle”, and most likely we don’t even know right where they are when we leave St. Andrews. The whales, as well as the seals, porpoise and all of the other animals we see, are wild. It is their home, and they go where they want. Sometimes the whales do set up patterns, and this can make them much easier to find. 

Honestly, we can’t answer that before we leave, because these are wild animals but the most important point you must know is our captains are very experienced (over 25 years on the water with whales) and they know how to position the boat so as to give you the best view of the whales. You always want to travel with the whales, letting them lead the way, so they can change direction when they want, and you never want to be in a position to cut a whale off. When we view these animals we must respect their boundaries and stay a safe distance away, it is so important for their survival. It is very important to note that Quoddy Link Marine is a signee to the Bay of Fundy Whale Watchers Code of Ethics.

This is a very common question. The act of jumping or “breaching” out of the water is an awe-inspiring thing to see, but it doesn’t happen on every trip. The most common whales that breach in our area are humpback whales, usually seen in August-October in our part of the Bay of Fundy.

Another very common question. Not all whales raise their tail. Humpback whales will most likely raise their tail on their terminal dive (whales will usually do a series of dives and then arch their back and dive deeper, this final dive is called a “terminal dive”). Finbacks, the second largest whale in the world and much larger than humpbacks do not typically raise their tail. Finback whales can reach lengths of over 70 feet and weigh more than 180,000 lb.

Baleen whales, like humpbacks, finbacks and minke whales are commonly found alone or in small, unstable groups. These groups form and may stay together for a few days, a few weeks or only a few minutes. It is very common to see a humpback whale travelling on their own. Humpback, finback and minke whales are here in the Bay of Fundy to feed and nurse their young, you don’t see the large groups like you would on breeding grounds. The Bay of Fundy is an important feeding, nursing and courting ground for the North Atlantic right whale, who can often be seen in large aggregations, known as surface active groups or “SAG’s”. 

These certainly are not all of the questions that our guests ask and if you have any questions please feel free to contact Quoddy Link Marine (info@quoddylinkmarine.com) or myself (danielle.m.dion@hotmail.com) or through our Facebook page