Top Whale Imagery of 2024

Through the 2024 season, visitors have been fortunate to experience some spectacular whale watching around Newfoundland and Labrador. Whether by boat tour, kayak, or hiking along a coastal trail, seeing these natural wonders pass by our shores never gets old. Whale watchers are likely to see fins and waterspouts, and if they’re lucky, a full breach as these nautical giants frolic and play from May to September. Here is a compilation of our favourite whale moments of the year, as seen by you! 

Every Shade of Blue

Sometimes it’s as if these majestic creatures can’t quite decide if they want to swim in the deep blue or fly with the picture-perfect clouds in the sky! When both are this pretty, who can blame them? Megan Wiggins captured this moment back in August while on a tour with Sea of Whales in Trinity Bay.

Time for a Feed

In recent years, St. Vincent's Beach has become a popular spot for whale watching from ashore. With a substantial drop-off just a few meters from shore, whales chase schools of capelin and herring in toward the beach and feed to their heart's content. This fantastic shot from Kosta Kokkinos shows two humpbacks chowing down together. Whale watchers have been known to rest on the rocky beach with their own picnics, hoping to dine some new friends from the sea.

Big, Blue, and Beautiful

Visitors aboard a tour with Sea of Whales near Trinity got quite the surprise by catching a glimpse of not one, but two blue whales swimming together. The blue whale is most notably the largest mammal on the planet, and typically quite elusive.  

Double the Fin, Double the Fun! 

Footage from Gatherall’s Boat Tour shows these two leisurely swimmers taking a break from their hard day’s work. Watch as they drift side-by-side in formation like synchronized swimmers. It might not be a high energy performance, but we’d still give this sighting a solid 10!

Not Your Typical Pod-Cast

Trinity EcoTours had a few visitors keeping pace with their zodiac boat on this trip back in May as Leona Rockwood captured this rare treat. It was incredible to see this pod of orcas swimming alongside each other and playing in the wake!

A Friendly Hello!

This playful pectoral fin slapping looks just like a friendly wave from a neighbour. Guests aboard Iceberg Quest’s tour got quite the show from this humpback just outside of St. John’s harbour.

The More, the Merrier!

While it's common to see humpbacks and the occasional orca swimming near our shores, we also get visited by dolphins! This Atlantic white beak dolphin had no issue photobombing a friendly humpback saying hello to the cameras, taking its own opportunity to shine in the spotlight. A fantastic capture courtesy of Northland Discovery Tours in St. Lunaire-Griquet.  

Breaching Humpback

This incredible shot was shared by Discovery Sea Adventures out of Bonavista. This humpback put on quite the show as it performed an incredible breach for onlookers.

Want to share your 2024 whale photos with us? Use #ExploreNL and tag us @newfoundlandlabrador.

 If you want to learn more about our neighbours from the north, migrate over to our whale watching webpage, or book a whale watching excursion by connecting with one of the many tour operators around our province.