Meet The Princes of Whales

Sea of Whales Adventures is a family run business, proudly owned and operated by the Prince family. Kris and Shawna Prince met while working for a former whale watching company in Trinity in 1999. In 2009, they opened Sea of Whales Adventures and the rest as they say, is history.

Kris grew up on the Bonavista peninsula in Princeton. From a fishing family, Kris spent many hours on the water with his uncles. He had always enjoyed his time on the water and wanted a career that would allow him to be out there as much as possible. Graduating just after the cod moratorium in Newfoundland, opportunities for working in the fishery were very limited and uncertain. Kris’ grandmother once told him “Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.” He had witnessed rescues of whales entangled in fishing gear while fishing and had been fascinated by the animals. After high school, Kris completed training in Adventure tourism and Eco-tourism and secured a job in the whale watching industry. Kris loves every minute that he spends on the water and agrees that it doesn’t feel like work.

Shawna grew up in Nictaux, Nova Scotia. She first worked with whales though a summer student job in 1999 in Trinity, Newfoundland. After completing her BSc in 2000 at Acadia University, she returned to Newfoundland to do her master’s degree in environmental science and later a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University. Shawna was always interested in identifying individual whales and tracking their movements. She does photo identification work with the pictures taken on their tours of humpback, sperm, and Orca whales. Giving back to the community is important to Shawna. She is currently the Chair of the Discovery Global Geopark Board of Directors, and serves on boards for the local figure skating club, and the Quinton Premises Historic Trust.

After starting Sea of Whales, Kris and Shawna worked their “day jobs” in the winter for 11 years. Shawna taught high school and Kris worked as a welder in Alberta. In 2020, during the pandemic the Princes decided to leave these jobs and realize their dream of living year round in Newfoundland. They’ve never looked back. Shawna still occasionally teaches at the high school and university level while Kris has retired from welding.

Levi and Selina Prince are growing up on the boat watching whales. They both enjoy being on the water and interacting with visitors from around the globe. They both enjoy spending time outside, hanging out with friends and several extra curricular activities. Their pets, Minke and Moby, can also often be seen when whale watchers arrive for a trip.

In addition, to these Princes, there are a few others on the team. Cousins Corey and Kelsi Prince also work with Sea of Whales. Captain Corey Prince operates whale watching and Geological tours with Shawna, as well as taking care of the maintenance of the vessels and property. Kelsi Prince will also be joining the team this summer in the booking office.

The Princes are grateful to have found their passion for tourism and whale watching and grateful get to share it with all who visit them and their family. Read more about them here: Globe & Mail — A family with a special connection to the water.

Looking for an incredible adventure this summer? Join the Princes on a tour! Book now.