That was a truly great, great vacation. Thank you so much! Gunner Dietz, Pulheim, Germany                             "Our five days were superb and we weren't nearly ready for the trip to be over. We will be back to paddle with you again." Laura Moorehead Massachusetts                                 "A fantastic trip: great food, wonderful scenery and delightful company. All the staff were extremely friendly." Karen Chen Toronto                     "The organisation of the food was amazing and so very, very good. Those home baked cookies and cakes made the trip even better." Bob Archer Amherst, MA                     "I really appreciated your efforts to give us an appreciation of the natural history of the coast" Joe Hermolin Madison, WI

NEW TOURS 2013 The West Coast (NL) Notre Dame Bay (NL) Peggy’s Cove (NS) Louisbourg (NS) Alumni Expedition 2013   General Tour Information     Nova Scotia THE ATLANTIC COASTAL ISLANDS The ragged shoreline of Atlantic Canada is a diverse collage of rocky harbours, soft beaches, tranquil salt marshes and especially the offshore islands. During these three, five and seven day tours we explore the nooks and crannies of this scenic archipelago far from the summer bustle of the mainland. Our meandering journey will take us to the sea bird and seal colonies, over thick kelp beds and into idyllic hidden coves where few other vessels dare to venture. We will also uncover the vanishing signs of our own transient history when the early Europeans settled on these remote outposts, as close to the water as possible. Nature has reclaimed what is rightly hers in a juxtaposition of natural and human history, past and present, that forms a compelling mix-an ideal sea kayaking tour for both beginners and families as well as the inquisitive expert. (Read a paddling article on the Atlantic Coastal Islands). For more photos of this tour check our Photo Gallery.   3 Day Tour Dates: May 18-20, June 22-24, June 29-July 1, 12-14 July 20-22, August 3-5, 11-13, 17-19, 21-23, 31-Sept 2, Sept 15-18, 21-23   Fee: $595Cdn* 5 Day Tour Dates: June 29-July 3, August 3-7   Fee: $995 Cdn* 7 Day Tour Dates: August 3-9   Fee: $1295 Cdn* Departure:   Coastal Exploration Centre, Tangier, Nova Scotia PEGGY'S COVE TRAIL (NEW THIS YEAR) This five day tour takes us from the tranquil waters of St. Margarets Bay to the bustling fishing village of Sambro around an eclectic shoreline of drumlin cliffs, boulder barrens, and idyllic hidaways tucked into impressive granite walls. We will paddle into romantic Peggy’s Cove as well visit the oldest working lighthouse in North America on Sambro Island. The isolated island outposts will be our campsites, far from the summer bustle of the mainland – so near and yet so far. This is a stark and compelling land/seascape. Dates: (5 Day Tour) July 20-24 Fee: $1125 Cdn* Departure: Glen Margaret , Nova Scotia THE CANSO BARRENS When an early Africa collided against North America millions of years ago, unimaginable forces opened the earths crust to the molten magma from deep below. Massive granite domes were formed and then pushed to the surface. During this six day tour we will discover the most isolated coastal region of the province with its stark and compelling landscape where huge glacial erractics are perched in strangepositions over the denuded landscape. The uninhabited coastal islands shelter our passage from the open ocean. This is a memorable journey. (Note: Check our Gourmet Tour which also explores the Canso Barrens). For more photos of this tour check our Photo Gallery.   Dates: (5 Day Tour) August 10-14 Fee: $1125 Cdn* Departure: Charlos Cove, Nova Scotia SHIPWRECKS AND BURIED TREASURE Hidden on the bottom of our rock strewn coastline, invisible to all but the fish and a few divers, lie many a sunken ship. But one large freighter, skewered on a reef at the tip of Cape Gegogan, is in full view of the inquisitive sea kayaker and we can even paddle inside the hold. Driven shore during a hurricane in the mid 60’s its rusting hulk is slowly succumbing to the ravages of the winter storms. We will visit the nearby light station on Liscomb Island, abandoned along with it’s former settlelment. This was also a reputed site of Capt. Kidd’s booty and treasure hunters have dug a money pit on the edge of nowwhere. Where they successful? The rugged Eastern Shore is steeped with mystery and myth. Read an article on the Shipwreck. This tour is also available as an inn based trip. Dates: July 27-29 Fee: $625 Cdn* Departure: Liscomb, Nova Scotia THE CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDS For five to seven days we will paddle under the shadow of the Cape Breton Highlands, on the northern tip of the province, where imposing rock formations flank the Precambrian granite of the highlands, and sea caves and spires adorn the route. Ragged and precipitous cliffs isolate the shoreline rendering this route one of the most inaccessible in Nova Scotia. The narrow, steep valley and gullies, interrupted by waterfalls lead up to the barren plateau with its panoramic view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bald eagles nest on cliff ledges and are a common sight soaring high on the updrafts. Seals abound and we will often accompany pilot whales as they feed on the migrating mackerel and squid. This is one of the most spectacular sea kayaking areas in North America. (Read an article on the Cape Breton Highlands.) For more photos of this tour check our Photo Gallery.   3 Day Tour Dates: July 13-15, August 3-5, 24-26 Fee: $750 Cdn* 5 Day Tour Dates: July 13-17, August 3-7, 24-28   Fee: $1275 Cdn* 7 Day Tour Dates: August 3-9   Fee: $1750 Cdn* Departure: Pleasant Bay, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia THE BAY OF FUNDY (Cape Chignecto) The Bay of Fundy is renowned for the greatest tides on earth which, when combined with the highest cliffs on mainland Nova Scotia, make region a spectacular sight indeed. Our route follows the boundary of a continental collision that thrust Africa against North America eons ago and has left us with a geological wonderland. We will weave among rock gardens, poke into sea caves and glide under towering spires draped with seaweed far above the kayaks. Dark volcanic basalt caps bright redish sandstones where agate, amythest and jasper await the rockhound. This is where the earliest dinasaurs roamed the planet. It is a remarkable coastline which changes by the minute with the ebb and flow of the Fundy waters, and a unique sea kayaking destination. (Read an article on The Bay of Fundy.) For more photos of this tour check our Photo Gallery.   4 Day Tour Dates: July 27-30; August 24-27 Fee: $895 Cdn* Departure:   West Advocate, Nova Scotia   LOUISBOURG (NEW THIS YEAR) We begin this tour with a paddle out to the the Fortress of Louisbourg where we visit the largest historical reconstruction in North America which commemorates a pivotal period in Canadian history, when the British defeated the French and gained control of all North America. From there we follow the coastline along a succession of exposed volcanic bedrock up to Main-a-Dieu. This a broken shorline of angular volcanic rock much different from the rounded granites and grewackes of the Atlantic coast of the Eastern Shore and we will weave in an out of these rock gardens in a seemingly endless progression of passages - a paddlers delight. Most of the perimeter is open terrain has some great hiking trails and extraordinary campsites.   5 Day Tour Dates: August 18-22 Fee: $1125 Cdn* Departure:   Louisbourg, Nova Scotia     Newfoundland   EXPLOITS / TWILLINGATE Early in the season huge icebergs from the Arctic ice fields often drift along the northern coast of Newfoundland, the world famous "Iceberg Alley". Humpback & Minke whales also arrive, pursuing the large schools of capelin, and the sea bird colonies are bustling. It is truly an extraordinary sight. During this tour we will paddle into the outer reaches of Notre Dame Bay, and among the windswept islands of the Bay of Exploits and then around the Twillilngate archipelago with it's rugged coves and steep cliffs, that confront the northern sea. Visited by the Dorset Eskimo over a thousand years ago, these outposts were also the last refuge of the indigenous Beothuk. With the arrival of the Europeans thriving fishing communities developed Today most lay silent, excepting for a lasting, and rich, natural and cultural history. Read an article on the Northern Coast of Newfoundland. Dates: July 3-10 Fee: $2095 Cdn* Departure: Twillingate, Newfoundland   WEST COAST ( NEW THIS YEAR ) We begin this 8 day discovery tour near Corner Brook within the sheltered Bay of Islands, first mapped by Capt James Cook in the 18th century. Afterexploring these isolated outposts we explore a nearby section of the Tablelands that reaches down to the water. This brilliant orange landscape was once part of the earth¹s mantle and was uplifted and exposed during the continental collisions millions of years ago. Highly concentrated with magnesium and iron it is very toxic to most plants leaving a barren landscape that is more similar to Arizona that Newfoundland. Upon leaving the Bay of Islands we continue up the exposed coast and meander along a fascinating shoreline of shoals and pocket beaches, and waterfalls and sea caves, at the base of the hills that rise over 2000 feet ­ an extension of the Appalachian Mountains. We end our journey at the world-renowned Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dates: July 28-August 4 Fee: $2095 Cdn* Departure: Corner Brook , Newfoundland   NOTRE DAME BAY (NEW THIS YEAR )   During this exploratory trip we will discover the western edge of Notre Dame Bay, between Baie Verte Peninsula and the Bay of Exploits, with its eclectic collection of headlands and harbours, islands and shoals. Some are still populated, connected to the mainland by ferries. Others have been abandoned, their settlers long ago migrating to more economically hospitable places. Still others were never inhabited, and remain as they have been for millennia - rugged and isolated outposts, confronting an inhospitable North Atlantic, and home to numerous bird colonies and seal rookeries. Our relaxing pace will take us alongside a meandering coastline where we will be immersed in a natural and cultural history full of surprises. If we are lucky we will encounter the massive icebergs that often drift down this time of the year or the whales that follow the large schools of migrating capelin that seek the gravel beaches to spawn.   Read an new article by Scott from Sea Kayaker Magazine on the Northeast coast of Newfoundland Dates: June 23-June 30 Fee: $2095 Cdn* Departure: Botwood, Newfoundland     THE SOUTHWEST COAST The rugged shores of Newfoundland, Canada's eastern most province have changed little since the first Europeans arrived over five hundred years ago. During our sea kayaking journey we discover deep fjords with abrupt, barren walls that alternate with the coastal islands to provide a captivating land/seascape. The rugged interior is a mixture of muskeg, glacial ponds and granite outcrops offering splendid hiking opportunities where we will encounter carniferous plants and the woodland caribou. In the isolated outports, which cling tenaciously to the exposed bedrock, we glimpse a threatened way of life as fishermen struggle to maintain their livelihood on a declining resource. (Read an article on the Southwest Coast). For more photos of this tour check our Photo Gallery. Dates: (8 Day Tour) August 7-14 Fee: $2095 Cdn* Departure: Burgeo, Newfoundland   ALL WOMEN TOURS In these sea kayaking tours catering exclusively to women, Gayle Wilson, an experienced coastal paddler will lead you among the offshore islands of the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. You will explore the various points of interest that make this area the paddling gem of the region. During the tour, instruction will also be offered in the various strokes and rescue techniques to those interested in improving their paddling skills. Dates: August 17-19 Fee: $595 Cdn* Departure: Coastal Exploration Centre, Tangier, Nova Scotia Trip Leader: Gayle Wilson: BCU and Paddle Canada Level II Sea Kayak Instructor   SPECIALTY TOURS Do you have a group with a special destination in mind? Do our dates not coincide with your vacation plans? Or are you looking for a particular focus (e.g., the biology or geology, cultural history, photography, etc)? Perhaps we can organize an itinerary outside our regular schedule. We have put together specialty tours for groups of friends, university classes, the military, as well as other outdoor companies. Contact us for suggestions. If you would like to register for one of Coastal Adventure's tours or courses, here is our registration form in ADOBE PDF format. You will need ADOBE ACROBAT READER to read this file. If you do not have it, it is available free at the ADOBE site:   To contact Coastal Adventures by email, click here:  HTML by AdNeT Technology