They’re super cute and Newfoundland is one of the best places in the world to see them. But where to see puffins in Newfoundland? Read on to find out.
Viewing puffins is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in St. John’s, and in Newfoundland as a whole – I personally have made trips to see them. They come to Newfoundland in late May and stay to mid-September for mating season.
And there are a lot of opportunities to see them!
Below, I list out the best places to see puffins and how to get to each spot. Scroll down even further and you’ll find my tips for visiting puffins and the best puffin tours, too.
Where to See Puffins in Newfoundland
Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
📍Map | 🚗 Driving Distance from St. Johns: 30 mins, 35km | 👉 Best Witless Bay Puffin tour
Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is 35km south of St. John’s on the Irish Loop Drive. It comprises four islands adjacent to the port community of the same name.
Witless Bay is home to North America’s largest Atlantic Puffin colony and sees more than 260,000 pairs nesting here over the summer. Witless Bay and Bay Bulls is also a great place to see whales (depending on the time of year) and is home to the world’s second-largest colony of Leach’s storm petrels.
While you can go to Witless Bay on your own and hike around, I highly recommend taking a tour. If you hike here and you don’t know where you’re going, you may miss the puffins.
The best Puffin tour in Witless Bay is Gatherall’s Puffin and Whale Watching Tour. This tour leaves from Bay Bulls and takes you aboard a catamaran. It shows you the puffin colonies, whales, other birds, and icebergs (in May and June).
🚗 Need a car? To get to Bay Bulls from St. John’s I recommend renting a car with Discover Cars. It’s a search engine that lets you stack up all the options. I also recommend reading my guide on how to get around Newfoundland.
Elliston Point, Bonavista Peninsula
📍Map | 🚗 Driving Distance from St. Johns: 3hr 22mins, 300km | 🛏️ Best Elliston Hotel: Russelltown Inn
Want the closest view of puffins in North America? Then head to Elliston Point on the Bonavista Peninsula. These Puffins are often viewable from just a few meters away so definitely bring your camera.
To see puffins here, head to the viewing site. The puffin colony is on the rugged coastline and nest in the thousands. It’s crazy gorgeous.
To get the best view of the puffins without crowds, I recommend staying nearby and waking up early to see them.
👉 Need a hotel in Elliston? The Russelltown Inn is a gorgeous property in nearby Bonavista. The rooms are beautifully decorated and the whole property is rated “wonderful”.
CPAWS Puffin and Petrel Patrol
📍Map | 🚗 Driving Distance from St. Johns: | 👉 Sign up to volunteer here
Want to have a more up-close-and-personal experience with puffins? Then look into CPAWS Puffin and Petrel Patrol in Witless Bay / Bay Bulls.
Due to global population declines, both puffins and petrel birds are designated vulnerable. So, during puffin season, the local CPAWS organization helps young puffins and petrels if they become disoriented and head toward town and road lights.
And you can register to help! Volunteers help scoop any disoriented birds from going the wrong way and take them to safety.
The puffin program runs in August and the petrel program runs from September to mid-November.
👉 You can get more information and sign up here: https://cpawsnl.org/puffinpetrelpatrol/
What about Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve?
📍Map | 🚗 Driving Distance from St. Johns: 2hr 11mins, 174km
Cape St. Mary’s is often listed online as one of the top places in Newfoundland to see puffins, but I can’t totally recommend it for puffins. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great site and you’ll see a ton of wildlife, but there are limited numbers of puffins here.
However, if you love birds, you’ll definitely want to make the trip. The reserve is known as the “most accessible seabird colony in North America” and you’ll see thousands of seagulls, razorbills, northern gannets, kittiwakes, harlequin, and more (all depending on the time of year).
👉 Read more: Where to Stay in St. John’s, Newfoundland
Tips for Seeing Puffins in Newfoundland
Choose the right time of year
Puffins nest in Newfoundland and aren’t in the province all year long. The best time to see puffins in Newfoundland is from late May through early September.
If you want to see puffins, plan your trip accordingly.
Have a plan
If you want to see puffins, I highly recommend having a plan. Don’t just head to one of these spots and hope to see puffins. Look into exactly where to go to see them, the time of year, what the locals are saying, etc.
If you don’t, you may end up hiking for hours to no avail.
Take a guided tour
If you want to guarantee your chances of seeing puffins, I recommend taking a guided tour.
The best tour at Witless Bay / Bay Bulls is Gatherall’s Newfoundland Puffin and Whale Watch Cruise. It has over 700 reviews and is rated 5 stars!
Leave no trace
When you visit the puffins, treat the areas respectfully and leave no trace. Pack everything you have in and out. Additionally, light pollution is a big deal to the puffins and often leaves them disoriented.
Try to limit your light usage in the evenings, especially if you’re camping on the coast.
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Thanks for reading my guide to where to see puffins in Newfoundland! Up next, check out my guide to getting screeched-in in Newfoundland. Any questions? Pop them in the comments.
