Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve

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Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is a wildlife reserve located near Cape St. Mary's on the Cape Shore, on the southwestern Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland.

It is home to one of Newfoundland's largest seabird colonies. Birds which nest here include northern gannets, black-legged kittiwakes, common murres, thick-billed murres, razorbills and black guillemots. The ocean waters off the reserve also provides winter habitat for harlequin ducks, common eiders, scoters and long-tailed ducks.

The area protected by the reserve also includes sub-Arctic tundra, a mainly treeless plateau bordering the ocean.

Northern gannets nesting on Bird Rock

Facilities include an interpretive centre, parking and washrooms. A footpath from the centre leads to a viewing location a few metres from "Bird Rock", a large sea stack with several thousand nesting gannets. Other nesting locations can also be viewed from shore.

A lighthouse is also located near the interpretive centre.^[1] As is true for many parts of Newfoundland, fog can be encountered at any time of day. Care should be taken near cliff edges.