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Bird Island
Cape Breton Nova Scotia

 		 Map

Bird Island is actually two islands: Hertford and Ciboux, located between the end of the Cabot Trail and North Sydney on Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia. North Sydney is the port out of which you take both ferries to Newfoundland. Since you will need to arrive a day early anyway, this is a great activity for the day before you leave.Visitors are restricted to circling the islands by boat. The trip takes about 2 !/2 hours.

Gray Seals
This is an excellent oppotunity to see Gray Seals which are uncommon further south. Unfortunately the narrator of the boat I went on is convinced that the Gray Seal is responsible for the decline of the fishing industry and spent much of the tour berating the seal and advocating their destruction. Blaming seals for depleting fishing stocks is unfortunately not a new idea. It has been going on so long, that at one time the seals were persecuted almost to extinction. Fish stocks continued to decline since of course the real culprit is overfishing by man. Now protected, seals are beginning to recover. It is very unfortunate that the tour gives this captain a platform to advocate an outdated and dangerous policy.

Great Cormorant What Birds Can You See
Bird Island supports the largest colony of Great Cormorants in North America and this is the best reason for birders to visit the island.

Other birds nesting on the islands are: Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Black Guillemot.
Great Cormorant

Time To Visit

June and July are the best time to visit.

How To Get Out There

There are several operators in and near Big Bras d'Or. Reservations are advised and you can make them from any of the visitor centers when you arrive on Nova Scotia. There is a very nice visitor center just across the bridge on Cape Breton Island.

Bird Island Boat Tours¹
1-800-661-6680
http://fox.nstn.ca/~birdisld
birdisld@fox.nstn.ca

¹This was the tour the author took in 1999.		 Puffin Boat Tours
With the Puffin Lady Donelda MacAskill
Englishtown on the Old Cabot Trail puffin@ns.sympatico.ca
http://baddeck.com/puffin/Bald Eagles are also seen on this trip.
1-902-929-2563 Toll Free (Canada) 1-877-2PUFFIN (1-877-278-3346)
See Mail Box		  

Where To Stay

There is a campground and several cabins associated witht eh Bird Island Boat Tours. Plenty of motels near North Sydney. There is an RV park in North Sydney close to the Newfoundland boat terminal which is popular with folks departing the next morning.

Machias | Bird Island | Witless Bay | Cape St. Mary | Bonaventure

Page Author: Emmalee Tarry