Humpback Whales
Look for their balloon-shaped blow and watch while they dive with their tails in the air as if saying goodbye. Their long white side flippers, which are about one-third of their body length, can be observed at close range from shore and boats.

 

Fin Whales
You will know when you have seen a finback. After viewing its straight high ice cream cone-shaped blow, you will then look at this streamlined black back before its long curved dorsal fin appears. Its underside is white and its side flippers are small and pointed.

 

Minke Whales
A common inshore sight in Newfoundland bays, the solitary minke whale is the smallest baleen whale. The minke blow is low and often not noticeable. Minke whales are black on top with a tall hooked dorsal fin and small side flippers that have a white patch on them. Their bellies are pure white.

 

Orcas & Dolphins & Harbour Porpoises
The most distinguishing feature of the orca or killer whale (Orcinus orca) is the long pointed fin of up to 2 meters in males. Look for the white spot behind the eye that stands out against the glossy black body. They have been observed eating humpbacks on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The Harbour Porpoise is the smallest of the whales. Locally it is referred to as "puffin pig" because of the grunting sound it makes while breathing. It has a rounded head with no beak, its skin is dark grey on the back and speckled white underneath. The flippers, small and black, are always located on the white portion of the body. The dorsal fin is stout and triangular, positioned in the middle of the back.

 

The Best Time to see Whales While many species of whales can be sighted around the coast of Newfoundland year round, sightings in and around the waters off Bay Bulls and the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve are most common during the peak of the season from mid June through to mid August. Sighting during the shoulder seasons (May through to mid June and mid August through to late September) are possible but less consistent.