In the serene embrace of nature that is the Whale House, nestled within the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, we share our home with an array of delightful neighbors – from the wild grass that dances with the wind to the playful ducks that grace our grounds. But as dusk falls and the moon paints silhouettes on the landscape, a different kind of magic unfolds.
Just like the zen garden meeting a luxury retreat, with a wink and a smile, our nights are graced by the enchanting dance of pufflings – the adorable offspring of Atlantic puffins. And it’s during these moments that the Whale House swaps its sunhat for a quirky cap and joins in an age-old tradition, much like the residents of Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland.
This tradition, endearingly known as ‘puffin patrol‘, is as much a part of life here as sipping morning coffee by the ocean in our garden.
The Moonlit Ballet
Puffin season is a time of joyous anticipation and gentle adventure. The pufflings, born in burrows on the high sea cliffs of our ecological reserve, begin their life journey by taking a leap of faith, guided by the light of the moon towards the vast ocean. However, in our modern world, artificial lights can lead these little adventurers astray, causing them to lose their way and fall victim to the dangers of the night.
At Whale House, we’ve chosen to keep our lighting minimal and pointed downward, not just to maintain our subtle charm, but to ensure our baby puffin friends find their path to the sea unhampered. It’s our way of whispering to them, “Safe Travels & Happy Adventures”.
The Puffin Patrol
As the sun sinks and the moon ascends, the residents and volunteers from all over the world transform in the area into a puffin rescue hub.
Our guests, armed with their sense of adventure and a love for nature, join in our nightly puffin patrol. It’s a beautiful chaos of laughter, excitement, and the occasional gasp of awe as we guide these little birds back on their path.
This delightful ritual is not just a thrilling adventure under the starlit sky, but it’s also a gentle reminder of the importance of co-existing harmoniously with nature. It’s about embracing the quirky and the unexpected, finding joy in the beautifully untamed, and realizing that sometimes, luxury is about the freedom to be yourself – even if that means running around with a box of lost pufflings under the moonlight!
Everyone pitching in
Captains and other boat tour operators like the Molly Bawn, volunteer their time to help.
Molly Bawn crew members are puffin patrollers every night, keeping an eye out for lost puffin chicks. Rescued puffins are carefully weighed, measured, banded, and kept safe overnight. The next morning, our crew assists with releasing them out into the open sea.
Read more about it here: https://mollybawn.com/were-proud-puffin-patrol-members
The Whale House Way
At Whale House, we’re not just offering a stay; we’re extending an invitation to experience life in its most natural and joyous form. Here, the grass grows a little taller, the ducks are part of the decor, and every moment nudges you to let loose and laugh a little.
So, come, kick off your shoes, forget about perfectly manicured lawns, and find happiness in our beautifully untamed haven. After all, who needs glaring city lights when you can have a moonlit ballet of puffin right at your doorstep?
Welcome to our world, where elegance meets simplicity, and each day is a jubilant dance with nature’s delightful quirks. Here at Whale House, we’ve swapped the conventional idea of luxury for something more nuanced, more meaningful – a kind of everyday opulence that doesn’t need gilded edges or velvet ropes.
