About O'Brien's Boat Tours
O'Brien's Boat Tours is a family-run whale and seabird tour company based on Lower Road in Bay Bulls, about 30 minutes south of downtown St. John's. Brothers Joseph and Loyola O'Brien started the business in 1985, making it one of the first boat tour operators on Newfoundland's east coast, and it now runs a fleet of four vessels.
The signature trip is a two-hour boat tour out to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, home to roughly half a million Atlantic puffins in summer, with humpback whales and icebergs possible in season. Guests who want to get closer to the water can book the Coastal Adventure, which has a zodiac option, and the team also puts together private, group and corporate charters. A shuttle from St. John's is available, which helps visitors without a car.
O'Brien's leans into Newfoundland culture as much as wildlife. Tours include a Screech-in ceremony at sea, there is a bar on board, and the crew is known for keeping the trip lively. With four decades on the water and a range of boat sizes, it is a solid pick for groups who want both the scenery and a taste of local tradition in one outing.
