Bicycling Near Digby
Brier Island is a great destination for mountain bikers. Just 6 by 2km wide (4 by 1 1/2 miles), 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.
Hiking Near Digby
On Long Island, two short but rewarding woodland hikes bring you to open vistas of St. Mary's Bay and the Bay of Fundy. The trailhead for the first, the 800m (half-mile) hike to Balancing Rock, is about 4km (2 1/2 miles) south of the Tiverton ferry on Route 217; look for a well-marked parking area on the left. The trail crosses through swamp, bog, and forest and is straight and flat -- until the last 91m (300 ft.), when it plummets nearly straight down a sheer bluff to the ocean's edge via 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 about 1km (a half-mile) descends gradually through a forest of moss, ferns, and roots to the Fundy shore. Note that the coastline here looks almost lunar, its dark rock marbled with thin streaks of quartz. You're likely to have this coast all to yourself, since few travelers ever venture here.
Farther along, Brier Island is also laced with hiking trails offering fantastic opportunities for seaside exploration. Pick up one of the maps offered free around the island. One good place to take a walk is at 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 a coastal trail.
Birdwatchers make pilgrimages here to witness the fall migration when the air fills with flocks of hawks, songbirds, and shorebirds.
Whale Watching From Digby
Here in the Bay of Fundy, ocean currents mingle and the vigorous tides cause upwelling, which brings a rich assortment of plankton up to the surface from the briny depths. That means a free, all-you-can-eat buffet for some species of whales, which feed on these minuscule creatures, making it the prime whale-watching location on mainland Nova Scotia. As the fishing industry has declined and the interest in whales increased, the number of fishermen offering whale-watching tours has boomed. Most of these are down-home operations on converted lobster boats or fast zodiacs—don’t expect gleaming ships like you might find elsewhere.
Your chances of seeing fin, minke, or humpback whales is excellent, and many guides offer guarantees. (Right, sperm, blue, and pilot whales have also occasionally been spotted over the years.) Plan on spending around C$55 to C$85 per adult for a 3- to 4-hour cruise; less per child.
Among the many choices of operators, we recommend the following three. Lifelong local resident Penny Graham operates Mariner Cruises (tel. 800/239-2189 or 902/839-2346) in Westport on Brier Island, using the Chad and Sisters Two, which is equipped with a heated cabin. Both whale- and bird-watching tours are offered. $C55 per adult, C$47 for seniors, C$33 children.
Petite Passage Whale Watch (tel. 902/834-2226) sails the Passage Provider 2020, a fibreglass Cape Island style boat with padded seating, a washroom on board and a partially covered deck. Each cruise leaves out of East Ferry and takes three to four hours. Rates are C$80 adults, $70 seniors and students 17 and over, $40 children, and $190 families with two adults and two children. If you work up an appetite from all the excitement, grab a bowl of seafood chowder from the Petit Passage Café, across from the first ferry stop at 3450 Highway 217.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
