My PHOTOGRAPHY & TRAVEL GUIDE TO NOVA SCOTIA
The last time I was in Canada was more than 20 years ago. The first thing that I noticed in Canada that is so striking is the kindest and friendliness of Canadians. Canada is a diverse nation with a blend of American, British, and French cultures, but niceness is one thing most Canadians seem to have in common.
Sunset at Peggy's Cove (iPhone)
Our trip took us from Washington, DC, all the way up to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Yes, it is a very, very, very long drive. It is 1,209 miles each way from our home. It is not fun to drive such long distances without multiple stops. So, in this Travel & Photography guide, I will go over my recommendations for the second half of our trip to Nova Scotia.
This was my first trip to Nova Scotia. After our visit to Maine (click on the link to read about Maine), we continued north into Canada. I was really looking forward to discovering a part of the world that I did not know. There was also the possibility of photographing Puffins. I have wanted to see and photograph Puffins for years, so I was really excited. #bucketlist
Bird Island in Cape Breton
When to Go & How to Get There
The best time to visit Nova Scotia is between May and October. Most people will want to visit Nova Scotia during the Summer when the weather is spectacular. With warm days and cool nights, it's really the perfect temperature and a wonderful time to visit.
Most people will fly into Halifax, which has a large international airport, but I usually like the flexibility of driving. The second most frequent route into Nova Scotia would be to take the Ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, NS. Our plans changed at the last minute because a passing storm in Maine caused our Ferry from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, to be canceled. So, we had to pivot quickly and decided to drive from Maine through New Brunswick to Nova Scotia. This turned out to be a lucky turn of events. The third option is to drive.
The only thing to watch for in Nova Scotia is the very interesting road signs. How would you understand the road sign below? One of our friends described it as "A baby on a Unicycle, holding 2 Maracas going over a bear trap." How would you describe it?
I really did not appreciate how big Nova Scotia is until we drove from place to place.
Nova Scotia is such a big area that you never feel or see the crowds. If you have ever been to Iceland, it has the same feeling of not being overpopulated. The other time of year that must be spectacular would be during the Fall Foliage.
Where to Stay
After staying in southern Nova Scotia, at a friend’s home in Shelburne, we decided to go to Halifax for a few nights so that we could see Puffins. We chose the Sutton Place Hotel, which was fantastic. It is located by all the wonderful restaurants of Halifax. Halifax is much more of a foodie town than I had expected. It is also remarkably international. You see people and food from all over the world.
Shoreline Along Peggy's Cove
Food Recommendations
I was very happy and impressed with the food in Halifax. Halifax is a very cosmopolitan city. Walking around the city, you will see restaurants offering food from Korea, Japan, West Africa, and Turkey, among many others. They also have excellent bakeries and breweries.
Of course, Nova Scotia is home to some of the best seafood in Canada, so a trip is not complete without checking out some of the best restaurants in Halifax. We were blown away by the variety of seafood, from crab and lobster rolls to risotto with scallops and seafood linguini to fusion maki rolls.
Nova Scotia is world-famous for lobster, and it is a must-try while visiting. The other must are the Digby scallops caught off the shores of the Bay of Fundy. Wild blueberries are Nova Scotia’s provincial berry with over 40 million pounds harvested each year. Halifax also has some wonderful breweries, and we even enjoyed Nova Scotia wines.
Our hotel was conveniently located by the Convention Center, so there were lots of great food options. Here is a list of our favorites
Photography Gear & Tips
For Nova Scotia, I would recommend bringing one more lens than I usually bring while traveling. I would definitely bring your longest possible lens (minimum 300mm but better to be closer to 500mm) for Wildlife. I would also bring a Tripod (and a Gimbal Head) and ND filters for photographing the Lighthouses at Sunrise or Sunset and Wildlife.
My Canon R5 camera. Any good DSLR or Mirrorless Camera will do Nikon D850, Fuji etc.
If you only want to bring 1 lens, then a 24-105 mm or a 24-240mm would be perfect. I usually bring 2 lenses, but this is a matter of preference.
A wide-angle lens 15-35mm so you will be able to photograph the landscapes.
A medium telephoto, such as 70-200mm. This will come in handy when you need to for people shots and photos where you need more reach.
*A Longer Telephoto, such as the 100-500mm. This will come in handy for Wildlife shots of Puffins
A good, sturdy tripod so you can take photos at sunrise and sunset. You will also want to take some long exposure shots.
Neutral-density filters (3, 6, and 10). Since there are many opportunities to take photos of the Lighthouse, it is important for long-exposure photos.
My Favorite Locations in Nova Scotia/New Brunswick
There are tons of great locations to photograph in Nova Scotia but you need time because the distances are huge. Do not expect to be able to photograph a lot of different places if you are only going for a few days. I was definitely not able to visit all the places I had planned on seeing. The distances are just too much, and when you are with friends, photography cannot be your main priority.
Hopewell Rocks
One unexpected consequence of driving is that we were able to stop at Hopewell Rocks. After watching a YouTube video of this area, I wanted to visit. However, our initial plans were to stay in our friend's home in Shelburne, NS, so I did not think I would be able to make the 5-hour drive each way. But since we were driving, we would be passing right by it.
The Tidal changes on the Bay of Fundy typically range from 14.5 meters (47.6 feet) from high tide to low tide; however, tidal changes in the Bay of Fundy have been measured in extreme conditions at 16.3 meters (53.5 feet). We were lucky to be able to time our visit so we would arrive at low tide. But it was midday, not an ideal time for photography, plus there were 100s of people strolling around. #patiencesisavirtue
Peggy's Cove
Nova Scotia is home to over 160 historic lighthouses, and these majestic lighthouses can be found throughout the province. Peggy's Cove lighthouse is probably the most well-known.
Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, also known as Peggy's Point Lighthouse, is one of Nova Scotia’s most well-known lighthouses and may be the most photographed in Canada. Located in the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove along the South Shore, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse was built in 1915. Fortunately, there is tons of parking so it is very easy to visit. I would recommend visiting at Sunrise.
The drive from Halifax to Peggy's Cove takes about 45 minutes. You will drive along the coastline, and there are some beautiful spots to stop and take photos in small fishing villages.
As I was leaving Peggy's Cove, I slipped and took a really hard fall.
Life Lesson #148: "Always listen to my wife."
On our way to Peggy's Cove, my wife suggested that I wear better shoes for walking over rocks. Of course, being male, I told her that my shoes, which have no traction, are fine. I walked all over the area, and just as I was walking to the car--BOOM!! My shoes slipped on the wet rocks, and I landed on my 70-200 lens, which was in my backpack. It was a really hard fall, and most likely, I fractured a few ribs. So, I was not able to take many photos for the rest of the trip.
The Beaches of Nova Scotia
Yes, there are some really nice-looking beaches in Nova Scotia. Some of the beaches, like Crystal Crescent Beach, have blue water that looks like the Caribbean. On my downloadable travel map, I have included the best beaches within 1.5 hours of Halifax.
But it is a VERY COLD
The water is really, really cold!! If you do not believe me, take a look at Xander's reaction after plunging into the water. I think his face says it all. I must admit he was much braver than me. The water temperatures in July are 57 degrees F (14 Celsius).
The Shoreline From Peggy's Cove to Shelburne
We drove all the way down to Shelburne, which is located about 2.5 hours south of Halifax. A friend of ours purchased a summer home in the area. Shelburne is a fishing village with an interesting history. Shelburne Harbor also has the third-best natural harbor in the world.
Wildlife in Cape Breton
We were very excited about the possibility of seeing Puffins. We have wanted to see Puffins for years and years. Typically, you can see Puffins in Iceland, Scotland, and Canada.
But nothing good comes easily in life. We booked a Puffin tour from Peggy's Cove. We were super excited and looking forward to it. Then Peggy's Cove Puffin Tours canceled our trip for no reason. So we booked it, again and again, it was canceled. I called the company and they told me that their boat has mechanical problems. I am really glad we did not go with them.
Time for Plan B?
So we had to come up with a Plan B. Plan B required us to drive up to Cape Breton, which is 4 hours each way. Sometimes, in life, you have to go the extra mile. It was a very long drive, but in the end, we saw Puffins:)) #bucketlist
We booked a tour on Donalda Puffin Tours. They offer a 2.5-hour tour to Bird Island and guarantee that you will see Puffins!! Where do I sign up? On the 45-minute boat ride out to Bird Island, they give you a history of the island and discuss the birds that we are going to hopefully see. The tour was excellent, and we saw Puffins, Bald Eagles, Artic Terns, Common Loons, Common Eiders, White-winged and Surf Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers, Belted Kingfishers, Great Blue Heron, and tons of Seals.
Puffins are very hard to photograph, especially on a moving diesel ship. They fly 55 mph, and they are about 8 inches high. You will need at least a 500 mm lens, the lowest f-stop (f4 to f7.1) you have, ISO 1600, and 1/3200th of a second. I took about 2,500 photos in 2.5 hours, and I am happy with about 100 of them.
I will leave you with a few wildlife photos from Cape Breton.
I hope you have found this Photography Guide on Nova Scotia helpful. I have included a downloadable Google Map below.