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Originally Posted by CivicBlues
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I'm always annoyed when I see pictures from Iceland or, worse, Greenland that could literally be here.
Yeah they're easily seen here. We actually have a program where people drive through suburban towns along the Irish Shore and pick up the babies off the streets and sidewalks. They unfortunately get distracted by the lights of the towns and fly to them instead of out to sea following the moon. There are a couple offshore islands that look exactly like these pictures. Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is the name. The tour boats mostly leave from Bay Bulls.
The other main, accessible place is Elliston on the Bonavista Peninsula. There they actually nest right beside the town so you can walk right among them. Also looks like your pics
Those are the two places you'll see tens of thousands at once, and hundreds up close. But go out on the water anywhere and you'll see a couple. They fly inches above the waves, wings flapping so fast you can't make them out. They're SO small though. It's just fleeting glimpses. I imagine it's the same as seeing bats.
Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is more impressive topographically, but no puffins that I've ever seen. I think it's just gannets.