Atlantic puffins, razorbills and bald eagles on one of North America's great seabird colonies — a 2¾-hour boat tour from Big Bras d'Or.
Off the northern shore of Cape Breton, at the entrance to the great inland sea of Bras d'Or Lake, lie the Bird Islands — a small, protected archipelago that hosts one of the most accessible Atlantic puffin colonies in North America. Each summer, hundreds of puffins, razorbills and black guillemots crowd its rocky ledges while bald eagles wheel overhead and grey seals haul out on the shore. The gateway is Big Bras d'Or, where the family-run Bird Island Boat Tours has been running the covered Puffin Express to the islands since 1972. This guide covers the seabirds, the operator, the May–August season, and a half-day plan that fits the wider Cabot Trail trip.
The Bird Islands (Hertford and Ciboux islands) sit at the entrance to Bras d'Or Lake, offshore from Big Bras d'Or and Alder Point on northern Cape Breton. Protected as an ecological reserve, they are predator-free — which is exactly why Atlantic puffins, razorbills and guillemots return here every summer to breed.
Hundreds of Atlantic puffin pairs nest on the Bird Islands each summer — one of the southernmost and most reliable puffin-watching destinations on the continent.
Tours leave from the Big Bras d'Or wharf on Trans-Canada Highway 105 — about 25 minutes from Baddeck and an easy add-on to any Cabot Trail itinerary.
Cape Breton has one of the highest bald eagle concentrations in North America. Sightings are virtually certain on every departure, alongside razorbills and seals.
The islands are off-limits to landing. Tours observe from the water, giving outstanding views of the colony without disturbing nesting birds.
Long enough for outstanding wildlife viewing, short enough to pair with a Cape Breton driving day. No prior boating experience needed.
Bird Island Boat Tours is three generations of the Van Schaick family — Captain Joe, then Vince, now Ian — still narrating the tours themselves.
The Bird Islands are a haven for nesting seabirds and marine mammals. Here is what you can expect to see from the deck of the Puffin Express during the May–August season.
Nova Scotia's most charismatic seabird. Hundreds of pairs return to the Bird Islands each summer to dig burrows, lay a single egg, and raise one puffling. With their colourful beaks and tuxedo plumage, they are the undisputed stars of any tour.
Best viewing: Mid-May – late August (peak Jun–Jul)
Large auks with sharp black bills, razorbills nest alongside puffins on the Bird Islands' rocky ledges. Excellent divers, they chase fish underwater on half-open wings and are a reliable sighting on every summer departure.
Best viewing: May – August
Small auks with bright red feet and a vivid red mouth lining visible when they call. Year-round Cape Breton residents, they often bob close to the tour boat and dive as it passes.
Best viewing: Year-round (most visible May–Aug)
Cape Breton has one of the highest bald eagle concentrations in North America. Nesting pairs soar above the Bird Islands and are virtually guaranteed on every tour, often drawn close to the boat by the crew.
Best viewing: Year-round (nesting Mar–Jul)
The largest seal in Nova Scotia waters — males can reach 300 kg — grey seals haul out on the Bird Islands' rocky shores in numbers that surprise most first-time visitors, and they are often curious around the boat.
Best viewing: Year-round
Bird Island Boat Tours (birdisland.net) is the long-running family operator at the Big Bras d'Or wharf. Three generations of the Van Schaick family — Captain Joe, then Captain Vince, now Captain Ian — have been introducing visitors to the Bird Islands since 1972.
📍 Big Bras d'Or, Cape Breton Island
The Puffin Express is a 37-foot covered tour boat with removable windows, so photographers can shoot glass-free from their seats while less hardy passengers stay out of the wind. The route carries you out through the waters at the entrance to Bras d'Or Lake to the Bird Islands, where the crew idles close to the rocky shores for long, unhurried views of puffins working their burrows, razorbills crowding the ledges, bald eagles overhead, and grey seals hauled out below. Along the way the skipper shares the natural and family history of the islands.
Adult $67 · Student $63 · Child (1–6) $45 · Infant (0–1) free — plus HST. An AAA/CAA discount (save $4 per ticket) is available with a membership card, and the operator also offers seaside cottages (pet-friendly, May–Oct) and a Gaelic Puffin Package. Prices and details: birdisland.net.
Tours depart from the Big Bras d'Or wharf on the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 105) at the northern end of Bras d'Or Lake.
Big Bras d'Or sits on Highway 105 (the Trans-Canada route across northern Cape Breton), roughly 25 minutes from Baddeck and about 30 minutes from the Sydney side. Parking is available at the dock — arrive 20–30 minutes before departure.
Big Bras d'Or is an easy detour off any Cabot Trail itinerary. Most drivers base in Baddeck and add a morning or late-afternoon Bird Islands departure between highland driving days.
Calling at Sydney? The Big Bras d'Or departure is reachable on a port day with a rental car — pair it with the wider Cape Breton shore plan and confirm timing against your ship's schedule.
The closest airport is Sydney (YQY), about 40 minutes east. Most visitors fly into Halifax (YHZ) and drive the 4.5-hour route north — a natural preamble to a full Cape Breton loop.
The Bird Islands are a genuine wildlife-photography highlight — close approaches, reliable subjects, and a boat built with photographers in mind. Here is how to make the most of it.
A Bird Islands tour is a perfect half-day anchor for a Cape Breton driving day. Here are two ways to fit it in.
Catch the first departure for the calmest water and the most active puffins. Be at the Big Bras d'Or wharf by 9:30am. After the 2¾-hour tour, drive 25 minutes to Baddeck for lunch and an afternoon at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, then continue onto the Cabot Trail.
Spend the morning driving the Cabot Trail or exploring the Bras d'Or Lake shore, lunch in Baddeck, then arrive at Big Bras d'Or by 4:45pm. The late departure puts you on the water as the light softens — the photographer's pick — and you'll be back ashore for a late dinner.
Pair the tour with a Cape Breton Highlands hike (the Skyline Trail if you've reserved parking), the Cape Smokey Gondola, or a whale-watching trip out of Pleasant Bay for a full Cape Breton wildlife day.
Atlantic puffins are migratory — they spend most of the year far offshore and only return to the Bird Islands to breed. Your window to see them is the short, intense summer nesting season.
May 17 – Aug 25 (2026)
June – July
Early August
10:00am (calmest) or 5:15pm (golden hour)
| Month | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January | Closed | Puffins far at sea; no tours |
| February | Closed | Puffins far at sea; no tours |
| March | Closed | Puffins far at sea; no tours |
| April | Closed | Puffins returning north |
| May | Opening | Season opens ~May 17; puffins arriving |
| June | Peak | Nest building and egg-laying — excellent viewing |
| July | Peak | Adults feeding chicks — top month |
| August | Peak | Chicks fledging; season closes ~Aug 25 |
| September | Closed | Most puffins departed; tours ended |
| October | Closed | Puffins at sea |
| November | Closed | Puffins at sea |
| December | Closed | Puffins at sea |
The broader puffin-watching guide — every Cape Breton operator, nesting-season biology, and how to plan around puffin activity.
Cruise visitors with a Cape Breton port day — the Bird Islands tour is a Bras d'Or Lake shore-excursion option from Sydney.
The complete road trip guide — 3, 5 & 7-day itineraries that route right past Big Bras d'Or and the Bird Islands departure.
Complete guide to Cape Breton Island — the Cabot Trail, the Highlands, Bras d'Or Lake and every community.
Cape Breton is a top whale region too — combine a Bird Islands puffin tour with a Pleasant Bay whale trip.
Nova Scotia's only gondola ride — a panoramic highlands add-on for the Ingonish side of your Cape Breton trip.