Active Pursuits

Bicycling

Brier Island offers an ideal destination for mountain bikers. At just 6.5km (4 miles) long and 2.5km (1 1/2 miles) wide, it's the right scale for spending a slow afternoon poking around the dirt roads that lead to two of the island's red-and-white lighthouses. Brier Island maps are available free at island stores and lodges. If you park your car on the Long Island side and take your bike over on the ferry, you'll save money; there's no charge for bikes or pedestrians.

Bike rentals are available at Backstreet Bicycles in Digby (tel. 902/245-1989).

Hiking

On Long Island, two short but rewarding woodland hikes take you to open vistas of St. Mary's Bay and the Bay of Fundy. The trailhead for the first, the half-mile hike to Balancing Rock, is 4km (2 1/2 miles) south of the Tiverton ferry on Route 217; look for the well-marked parking area on the left. The trail crosses through swamp, bog, and forest and is dead straight and flat -- until the last 90m (295 ft.), when you plummet nearly straight down a sheer bluff to the ocean's edge along some 169 steps. At the base, a series of boardwalks leads you over the surging ocean to get a dead-on view of the tall column of basalt balancing improbably atop another column. For the second short hike, return to the parking lot and drive 5km (3 miles) south to the picnic area on the right. From the parking lot atop the hill, a hike of 1km (.6 mile) descends gradually through a forest of moss, ferns, and roots to the remote Fundy shore. The coastline here is nearly lunar, with the dark rock marbled with thin streaks of quartz. You're likely to have the coast to yourself, since few venture here.

Farther along, Brier Island is laced with hiking trails, offering fantastic opportunities for seaside exploration. Pick up one of the maps offered free around the island. A good place to start is the Grand Passage Lighthouse (turn right after disembarking the ferry and continue until you can't go any farther). Park near the light and walk through the stunted pines to the open meadows on the western shore, where you can pick up the coastal trail.

Whale-Watching

In the Bay of Fundy, ocean currents mingle and the vigorous tides cause upwelling, which brings a rich assortment of plankton to the surface. That makes it an all-you-can-eat buffet for whales, which feed on these minuscule bits of plant and animal. As the fishing industry has declined, the number of fishermen offering whale-watching tours has boomed. Most of these are down-home operations on converted lobster boats -- don't expect the gleaming whale-watch ships with comfy seats and full-service cafeterias that you find in larger cities or on the New England coast.

Declining inshore herring stocks means tours need to head farther out into the bay to find whales than in years past, but you'll almost always have sightings of fin, minke, or humpback whales. Right, sperm, blue, and pilot whales, along with the seldom-seen orcas, have also been spotted over the years. Plan on spending around C$35 to C$45 (US$32-US$41/£18-£23) per adult for a 3- to 4-hour cruise, less for children.

Mariner Cruises (tel. 800/239-2189 or 902/839-2346) in Westport on Brier Island sails aboard the 14m (46-ft.) Chad and Sisters Two, which is equipped with a heated cabin. Both whale- and bird-watching tours are offered. Pirate's Cove Whale & Seabird Cruises (tel. 888/480-0004 or 902/839-2242), located in Tiverton, has been leading offshore cruises since 1990; several tours are offered daily aboard the 13m (43-ft.) Fundy Cruiser and Fundy Voyager. Petite Passage Whale Watch (tel. 902/834-2226) sails out of East Ferry aboard the 14m (46-ft.), 45-passenger Passage Provider 04 and has a partially covered deck. It runs two to three cruises daily from June through October.

For a saltier adventure, Ocean Explorations (tel. 877/654-2341 or 902/839-2417) offers tours on rigid-hulled inflatable Zodiacs. The largest boat holds up to a dozen passengers and moves with tremendous speed and dampness through the fast currents and frequent chop around the islands and the open bay; guests are provided with survival suits for warmth and safety. The 2- to 3-hour trips cost C$55 (US$50/£28) per adult, less for children, seniors, students, and group members.