MVFN is offering a change of venue for our major nature tour this year: a Canadian trip led and organized by Quest Nature Tours (our tour company for the four down South tours we have organized in the past several years). We thought it was time we did some exploration of our own country that’s not within driving distance of our area.
We have selected a six-day tour, starting in Moncton, travelling down the Bay of Fundy, and taking the ferry to Grand Manan Island. We would leave Ottawa by Porter Airlines on July 31, 2017, and return from St. John by Air Canada August 5 evening. Ian Shanahan is the Tour leader (yes, son of Don Shanahan, our leader on our first trip to Cuba).
Quest’s description of the Bay of Fundy & Grand Manan nature tour:
“Every six hours and thirteen minutes, over 100 billion tonnes of Atlantic Ocean seawater move in and out of the Bay of Fundy, which is the bay with the highest tides in the world. But the tides themselves are just one reason that Fundy has become such an iconic piece of Canada. Our tour of this region begins in the upper bay where hundreds of thousands of migrating Semipalmated Sandpipers fill mudflats and beaches for a few magical midsummer weeks. We then move to Grand Manan Island in the lower bay where puffins, razorbills, gannets, storm-petrels, shearwaters and whales are too numerous to count. The Grand Manan archipelago has a pull of its own, owing to its unspoiled nature and welcoming island residents.
We are staying four full days at the Marathon Innon Grand Manan near Fundy’s entrance where so many people have first felt Fundy’s allure. Startling rock formations, coniferous forests, wildflower-filled meadows and tidal pools are the backdrop to an incredible annual migration of songbirds and shorebirds. Off shore, resident and migratory seabirds join whales in spectacular congregations of marine life. There is a pervasive “anything can happen” vibe underscoring each day here.”
Trip costs are as follows:
Tour: $2,295 CDN
Gratuities: $195
15% HST: $345
Flights: ~ $ 500*
TOTAL: ~ $3,265 CDN
The tour total includes: tour leader, local guides, ground transportation, accommodation, meals, gratuities. The only additional costs are: snacks, beverages, extra tips. Please note that all these figures are in Canadian dollars. (FYI, many other tour companies’ prices are quoted in American dollars).
*I will investigate the possibility of group rates for the flight, when the trip is a “go” (minimum of 12 participants). MVFN will book the flights for the whole group, so we arrive & depart at the same time.
There is a $500 refundable deposit upon registration, an additional $1,000 deposit due February 28, and the balance (excluding the air fare) due April 30. There is a single occupancy room premium.
As the maximum number of participants is limited to 16, please let me know you wish to register ASAP: bjboyd26@gmail.com or 256-2706. I will put you on the list, and send you a detailed itinerary.
FIRST REGISTERED WITH DOWN PAYMENT, FIRST ON LIST!
Please feel free to contact Brenda Boyd with any questions, concerns, etc.
Looking forward to an exciting new Canadian area to explore together!
Brenda Boyd
