Nature in New Brunswick

Bears, goats and seals. Animals for everyone.

New Brunswick has enough trees such that you can’t see the wood for the trees. Hidden in the forests, you can find different kinds of animals, like squirrels, bear, moose, deer, etc. During our trip we kept looking for moose, but unfortunately they played hide-and-seek with us, because we were not able to spot a single moose! Luckily for us, there were some other fascinating animals and beautiful nature to be seen.

During the days in New Brunswick, we stayed at L’Ancrage Bed&Breakfast, which is located next to the Kouchibouguac River and near the Kouchibouguac National Park.

Little Big Bear Safari

As you might guess from the header, we went on a bear viewing safari with Little Big Bear Safari. The bear whisperer Richard drove us in a small school bus to their 50 acres of private land where we would be able to see bears. On his private land, he built a observation tower to keep the visitors safe while watching the bears.

In the meantime that we were safely upstairs, he went down again with food and starting placing food in different spots, like on trees, inside hollow fallen trees, beneath rocks, etc. When the bears came looking, he even started feeding the bears out of his bare hands! There were big black bears and also bear cubs.

Feeding the bears

Early birds in Kouchibouguac National Park

If you want to see something spectacular, then you should definitely get up around 5 am and go to the shore in the Kouchibouguac National Park! Seeing the sunrise here is truly astonishing. There are also a lot of nasty mosquitoes if you come here during the summer months that will bite you even if you’re fully clothed (they just bite through your jeans and jacket), but it is totally worth it!

Kouchibouguac National Park Sunrise

If you go on a walk after the sunrise, there will be almost no people inside the park and you will get a chance to look at all the other creatures inside the forest (raccoons, deer and maybe even a moose or a bear!). The National Park can be explored by bike as well.

Kouchibouguac River in the Kouchibouguac National Park

Kayaking with seals

Well, kayaking with  seals is a not completely true. While having a break on a sandbank, we saw a group of seals sunbathing on the sand. We were not able to get very close, because we did not want to disturb their peaceful sunbathing.

Kayaking

Sunbathing seals

Strawberry picking and playing follow-the leader with goats

Nothing beats picking your own strawberries and enjoying the fresh air on a strawberry field. Whilst picking, you are free to eat one or two (or more) strawberries, which is extra rewarding.

Strawberry field

Visiting a goat cheese farm was also a great experience. Besides the herd of goats, there were also two donkeys, a horse, pigs, dogs and chickens. The goats like getting attention, so they followed us everywhere, which is an funny sight.

Follow the leader!