Murphy's Scenic Boat Tours

Murphy's Scenic Boat Tours operates out of Murphy Cove, a fishing community on the Eastern Shore roughly an hour northeast of Halifax, and its flagship run — the 100 Islands, 100 Minutes tour — is one of the few ways for the public to get inside the 100 Wild Islands archipelago at all. The tour arm is run by Murphy's Camping on the Ocean, a family campground that has been putting visitors on the water for years, and it exists for a simple geographic reason the operator states plainly: there are one hundred islands within about five kilometres of their wharf. The claim sounds like marketing until you are out on the water, threading between granite headlands and white-sand coves, counting them yourself. Tourism Nova Scotia carries the operation in its official listings under boating and sailing, with sport fishing among the available activities.

A Seventh-Generation Captain and a Small Boat That Goes Where Big Ones Cannot

Your captain is Ryan Murphy — a seventh-generation Murphy to live and work in Murphy Cove, a community with a history of fishing, boat building, blacksmithing, and, in the less advertised chapters, rum running. Ryan has spent years exploring, hiking, camping, fishing, and swimming the archipelago, and he acts as a property guardian for several of the Wild Islands under the conservation stewardship program. That background shapes the commentary: this is not a canned narration but a neighbour's tour of his own backyard, including the mechanics of how the islands came to be protected. The vessel, Sea Warrior, is a 23-foot centre console RIB — small enough to slip into coves the bigger tour boats out of Halifax can never reach, and open enough that you feel the weather and the spray. The wind and waves of the day determine the exact route, which is honest seamanship rather than a limitation; no two runs see quite the same islands.

The archipelago itself is the draw, and it is genuinely extraordinary. The Wild Islands stretch for over 100 kilometres along the Eastern Shore — more than 750 islands in total, from Clam Harbour to Mushaboom — and remain, as the operator puts it, mostly as Samuel de Champlain found them when he charted these islands in 1607: boreal rain forests, bogs, barrens, white sand beaches, sheltered coves, and windswept headlands. The Nature Trust's campaign to protect them has drawn international attention, with Yvon Chouinard — Patagonia's founder — among those who have paddled and publicized the coast. Ryan's tour narrates 300 million years of geological formation and points out 12,000-year-old glacial landmarks left by the last ice age, alongside the modern story: passengers see firsthand the effects of climate change and sea level rise on these low-lying, exposed coastal islands.

What the Route Covers

The 100 Islands tour is the faster-paced sibling of the company's leisurely 50 Islands, 50 Minutes scenic run, and it packs in as many sights, sounds, and islands as the clock allows. Typical stops and sightings include Ship Rock Island, named for a sheer rock cliff that resembles the sail of a schooner and rumoured to have been used for cannon target practice in the 19th and 20th centuries, and Borgles Island, known for its double-crescent white sand beach. The tour also hops off on an island for a short guided coastal walk — the operator insists it "isn't even difficult" — which is the moment most passengers photograph: standing on a beach that sees a handful of human visitors a year, within sight of the wharf they left twenty minutes earlier.

The guest comments on the campground's own books run in the same direction year after year. Margaret Merlin-Wilson called it a "fabulous setting, great boat tour, wonderful delightful captain and guide." Rodney Wiebe's one-line advice to other campers: do not skip the boat tour. Rob Martin highlighted that the owners are "friendly, outgoing and knowledgeable of the islands and history," and Christopher Lockyer praised the clean facilities and the ocean access for paddling adventures. The community campfires with mussel boils come up repeatedly in the same breath — the campground culture and the tour are one operation, and it shows.

The Honest Caveats

This is an open boat on the North Atlantic, so dress for the water temperature rather than the parking lot, and the ride can be bouncy in a fresh breeze — passengers with back issues or very small children should pick a calm day or ask about conditions when booking. The tour runs only in the province's warmest-calendar months, mid-May through mid-October, and books up in peak summer, with the operator accepting reservations up to 18 months ahead — the early-bird campers book the following summer before they leave. At $150 per adult it is pricier than a harbour cruise in the city, but you are paying for a small-boat, small-group run through a protected archipelago that few operators can reach at all. Kayak lessons and rentals are available from the same wharf for travellers who would rather paddle the islands themselves — our Nova Scotia kayaking guide covers what that entails and who it suits.

The Practical Details: Location, Hours & Essentials

Address & Location
308 Murphys Road, Murphy Cove, NS B0J 3H0 — on the Marine Drive (Route 7) along the Eastern Shore, about an hour from Halifax and roughly 25 minutes from Sheet Harbour. The wharf is on the Murphy's Camping on the Ocean property; the campground office is the check-in point.

Season & Schedule
Tours typically run mid-May to mid-October; the 2026 online-booking window runs June 1 to September 30, and the operator takes inquiries for dates outside it. Departure times vary with weather and demand; the operator confirms timing at booking. Bookings accepted year-round, up to 18 months in advance.

Price
$150 per adult (plus HST) for the 100 Islands, 100 Minutes tour, $90 (plus HST) for children 15 and under, with additional guests at $75 each up to a maximum of four people total. The shorter 50 Islands, 50 Minutes scenic tour is priced separately, and island-adventure packages and kayak lessons are quoted individually.

Reservations
Book online through the Murphy's Camping on the Ocean website, or call (902) 772-2700. Email inquiries to info@murphyscamping.ca. Advance booking is strongly recommended for July and August.

What to Bring
Layers and a windproof shell regardless of the forecast, solid footwear for the island walk, sunscreen, a hat, and a camera. Sea Warrior is an open 23-foot vessel — you may take spray, and you will not mind.

Parking & Access
Free parking at the campground wharf. The property also offers RV sites, tent sites, geo domes, and cottage rental units if you want to turn the tour into an overnight stay, with nightly community campfires in season.

For the full picture of the coast this tour explores — how the archipelago earned its protection, and what else to see along Route 7 — read our 100 Wild Islands guide and the broader Eastern Shore guide, which maps the beaches and lookoffs between Lawrencetown and Sheet Harbour.