About Us

Thank you for visiting.  My name is John Eldridge, my wife and business partner Lisa, our daughter Abby and son Elias invite you to share an ever changing Bay of Fundy experience.  I was raised on the shores of the Bay of Fundy.  After high school I entered the Canadian Coast Guard's officer training College.  Graduating Cum Laude I spent 10 years with the Coast Guard as a ship's officer and Senior Marine Rescue Controller at the Halifax Rescue Coordination Centre.  In 1995, I left the public service, returning to the Bay of Fundy for the challenge of entrepreneurship.  Lisa, a Cape Bretoner, brings to our company the warmth and charm the Maritimes are known for.  You will find us both involved in the frontline operations of our company.  Of course, our crew, both shore side and afloat are the key component to providing you with a memorable and rewarding experience. Therefore, we carefully select crew based on their demonstrated keen interest, respect and appreciation of our shared natural surroundings.  In fact, you will often notice the crew more excited with our wildlife encounters than many of our passengers.

Our guides are most often university students or graduates with a relevant field of study, ie. Marine Biology.  Additionally, all crew are provided with our own in-house guide training, developed specifically for our area of operation and delivered by a seasoned biologist.  All crew require Marine Emergency and First Aid/CPR training. Captains are experienced and fully licensed by Transport Canada.

How and Why we do things the way we do

Lisa and I are the founders and soul owners of our business.  We have been delivering whale watching from St. Andrews for 13 seasons.  During this time our boat has grown by 25% - her speed has increased by 25 %, our radius of operation has doubled, but the number of passengers we carry per trip has stayed almost the same. We didn’t make the investment in a larger, faster more capable vessel to carry more passengers - we invested to provide our passengers a richer more rewarding experience. 

Over the years there has been a marked increase in the number of vessels providing whale watch excursions.  In earlier years our cruises would operate in a 12 nm radius of St. Andrews.  Over time vessel congestion in this area has increased, as have passenger expectations, however the number of larger whales in this area has decreased.  Waiting in line to see a whale, constantly maneuvering to allow others to view or ensure we could view, was in our opinion not conducive to a rich rewarding experience for our passengers, ourselves or the whales.

By investing in a larger faster vessel designed for the typical conditions encountered in the open Bay and by allowing flexible cruise duration we gave whale enthusiasts and ourselves other options. With the ability to go further we can now leave congestion behind, we can visit with a greater number and variety of whales and we can spend more time. In our opinion this results in a richer, more rewarding and more responsible experience.  To further enhance the experience we have invested in a scout boat. This vessel assesses weather and whale locations. This ensures our trips further afield are not in vain, it also helps to reduce or eliminate the need to search providing more time for watching. 

Just as not all restaurants provide the same menu, not all whale watch cruises provide the same opportunities. You have several choices when choosing a whale watching excursion and we urge you to compare. With Quoddy Link Marine, you can expect a deep commitment to ensuring your satisfaction. Welcome Aboard!