Prime amongst them being the moment you see your first humpback whale erupting out of the ocean then crashing back into the depths. There are more whales, more often, in the waters around Grand Manan Island than anywhere else along the entire New Brunswick coast. In fact, if you take a whale watching trip and don’t see a whale then there is no charge. There are vast numbers of sea birds too, ranging from puffins and petrels to phalaropes and jeagers.

Even the accommodation offered by the Inn at Whale Cove Cottages is refreshingly different. Set at the end of a tree-lined lane, the inn was built in 1816 and retains its period charm, hand-hewn beams and Antique Shaker-style furniture. The cottages are similarly cosy and rustic.