Why Is My Boat Tour Leaving From a Different Departure Point?
Sea of Whales Adventures is based in the historic town of Trinity on the Bonavista Peninsula. Being located on a peninsula—and with boats that can be easily moved—we’re lucky to have two bays to choose from. This means we can head to wherever the sea conditions are best and the whales are most likely to be. We recommend that you leave the day that you have booked for your tour a little more flexible as the location of your trip could change. Moving the boat ensures that we provide our guests with the best experience possible. It also gives us a much better chance of seeing whales!
Though we can leave from just about anywhere around the Bonavista peninsula, our two main departure points are Trinity and Princeton. Although Trinity Bight is a well-known tourism destination, Princeton is a little off the beaten path. So we thought it might be helpful to let you in on the secrets of what there is to see and do on the lesser-known side of the peninsula.
Princeton
Near where the route 230 and 235 branch, is Princeton. Originally known as Seal Cove in the 1960s, the constant mail mix ups between there and other towns of the same name, forced the community to change its name. The two most prominent families at the time were the Princes (the hometown of Captains Kris and Corey Prince) and the Quintons, so the town became Princeton. Princeton is a sheltered harbour on the Bonavista Bay side of the peninsula.
Princeton is still an active fishing port with cousin Casey Prince carrying on the fishing tradition of the family. Live lobster can be purchased from cousin Peg Ivany at the wharf after your trip to cook when you get back to your rental house or camper. Pro tip: get a bottle of sea water to cook your lobster in, they taste best this way.
Princeton has a convenience store called Princeton Variety. They have a selection of hot and cold ready-made meals available for purchase, ice cream, snacks, groceries and cold drinks. Next door is a chip truck with yummy fish and chips, burgers and chicken. Before or after your trip, you can grab lunch or a snack at the store or chip truck and eat near the harbour or on the shore of Princeton pond. If it’s a hot day, you might take a dip at Princeton pond.
What is there to see and do on the North side of the Bonavista peninsula?
The north side of the peninsula may have fewer tourism-based businesses, but it features a breathtaking coastal drive with beautiful natural attractions. There tends to be less fog on that side of the peninsula so it is often referred it as the sunny side, and is typically warmer than the Trinity Bay side of the peninsula. We recommend seeing the geosites of the Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark including the Tickle Cove Sea Arch (which you may also visit on your boat tour), The Quinton Premises in Red Cliff, Brook Point on The King’s Cove Lighthouse Trail, The Devil’s Footprints in Keels, the Mud cracks in Duntara, and the ripples in Knight’s Cove.
If you’re visiting these geosites, you can grab a snack at Maudie’s Tea Room or Clayton’s chip truck, both located in Keels. There is an outdoor community pool in Plate Cove East, just off of Route 235, which is a fun place to stop for a swim on a hot day.
No matter where your boat tour is departing from, rest assured that Sea of Whales is going the extra mile to make sure that you have the best experience possible. If your tour gets moved to a different location, use that as an opportunity to explore the other side of the Bonavista peninsula, we promise you won’t be disappointed!
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