Witless Bay Ecological Reserve

Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is an ecological preserve close to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve consists of four islands: Gull Island, Green Island, Great Island, and Pee Pee Island. Immense numbers of birds nest on these islands during the seabird breeding season, roughly from 1 April through 1 September.

Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
Gull Island (largest of four islands in reserve)
LocationNewfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Nearest citySt. John's
Coordinates47°13′47″N 52°47′27″W / 47.22972°N 52.79083°W / 47.22972; -52.79083
Established1964 (Wildlife Reserve), 1983 (Ecological Reserve) [1]
Governing bodyNewfoundland and Labrador, Dept. of Environment and Conservation
Two of the reserve's islands: Pee Pee Island in foreground with Great Island in background, 2020

The Witless Bay reserve contains North America´s largest Atlantic puffin colony. It is estimated that more than 260,000 pairs of Atlantic puffins nest there during the late spring and summer. The reserve also hosts the world's second-largest colony of Leach's storm-petrels. More than 620,000 pairs of these birds come here to nest every year. Thousands of black-legged kittiwakes and common murres arrive for the nesting season.

A tourism information centre is located in the reserve, by Lower Pond in the town of Witless Bay.

References edit

  1. ^ [1], Provincial Government Website

External links edit