Witless Bay Islands Park Reserve

Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is a remarkable marine wildlife reserve comprising four islands off the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, located about half an hour south of St. John's between Bay Bulls and Bauline East. The reserve is internationally renowned as the site of North America's largest Atlantic Puffin colony, with over 260,000 nesting pairs, as well as the world's second-largest Leach's Storm-petrel colony and significant populations of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Common Murres. Visitors experience the reserve primarily through licensed commercial boat tours that operate seasonally from spring through fall, offering close-up views of nesting seabirds, icebergs, and humpback whales in their natural habitat. Public landing on the islands is restricted to permit holders, preserving the reserve's exceptional habitat for ongoing research and conservation.