Ribbit, ribbit! Amphibious tour lets passengers explore Halifax by land and sea

The Harbour Hopper carries a load of tourists past the Old Town Clock on Citadel Hill in Halifax on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016. The Vietnam war-era amphibious vehicle also provides a water view of the Nova Scotia capital city. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)

HALIFAX -- All aboard the Harbour Hopper, a frog-green, rusting hull-on-wheels tour that allows visitors to experience Halifax by both land and water.

The four-vehicle fleet of retrofitted Vietnam War-era amphibious crafts, purchased from the U.S. army for $1 million apiece, carries thousands of passengers a year, and is a staple of summer in the city.

The approximately hour-long tour is split evenly between the city streets and the seas of Halifax Harbour, narrated by a peppy guide who explains each site's cultural significance and leads the passengers in the occasional round of "ribbiting" in honour of the Harbour Hopper's mascot, a rain-capped frog.

"There's a lot of corny jokes, which everybody enjoys," says tour guide Kristyn Green. "It's a great way to get the gist of a city in just a short amount of time."

The hulking carrier begins its route on land, winding up the narrow roads of Citadel Hill, first fortified in 1749, until it reaches the star-shaped fortress at its summit, designed to provide a clear view of the harbour and Royal Navy Dockyard.

A cannon is fired daily at noon, a tradition that once helped sailors keep accurate time, but now serves as a ritual fright to the office workers beneath the hill's grassy slopes.

The bus drones by the broderie-patterned beds of the Halifax Public Gardens; down the city's main drag, Spring Garden Road; past the Old Burying Ground, where, by some estimates, 12,000 of Halifax's earliest settlers are buried 10 to a grave; and a statue of British statesman Winston Churchill, who during a visit to the city in 1943 allegedly gushed that it is "something more than a shed on a wharf."

The tour arrives at a slimy ramp on the edge of Halifax Harbour. At this point, 23-year-old tour guide Alex Landry informs the group that driver Asim Khan has become captain of the vessel, and he will take on the role of first mate.

The crowd braces itself for the awesome transition from bus to boat, and the vehicle rolls into the water with a minor splash. Khan says, depending on the tide, there can be so much spray he has to warn passengers to put away their electronics.

"The splash is always a hit," Khan says. "It's a combination of the log ride at most amusement parks and ... launching a boat."

The vehicle propels its way into the harbour, cruising past the naval dockyards, the lighthouse on Georges Island and the serrated skyline of Atlantic Canada's bustling hub.

Upong returning to land, Landry recants the role the city played in helping to recover the bodies of those who perished in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, and is the final resting place for more than 100 unidentified victims. He talks about the Halifax Explosion that devastated the city around five years later, in which approximately 2,000 people died in a blast caused by two colliding ships.

By the time the Harbour Hopper returns to the waterfront, some of the children on board have been lulled to sleep by either the history or the waves. Others are still giddy about having spotted a seal near the docks.

"It's been a really family friendly experience," says Sanj Sathiyamoorthy, a tourist from Ontario, with his four-year-old son in his arms. "We don't have boats like that in Kitchener."

While the Harbour Hopper is a hit among visitors, it is also a source of occasional chagrin for locals, especially vendors on its route who have to hear the same Halifax tidbit up to 30 times a day.

"There are certain individuals around town who didn't particularly care for us going by them," says Bob Corkum, a former Harbour Hopper driver. "The majority of people ... can tell they carry 40 people on that thing and every time it goes by all summer long it's full.

"It's been a good ambassador."

Since retiring his captain's hat around 10 years ago, Corkum still hears the Harbour Hopper every day on his way to work. Despite some people's grumbling, he says the hybrid bus-boat has been a boon to downtown businesses and contributes to the city's charm.

"For you and me, it's been here all of our life, and we forget that 80 per cent of the population that comes here and visits -- anywhere from the Prairies to Nevada -- have never seen the ocean in their life," he says.

"It gives them a chance to be there out on the water ... and just see what it's like to live on an ocean."

If You Go...

The Harbour Hopper runs from early May to late October. Click here or call 902-420-1015 for information on departures.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $31.50 for seniors, $19.99 for children aged 10 to 15 and $11.50 for children three to nine. There is no charge for children under age two. The family rate for two adults and two kids is $90, and $11.50 for each additional child.

Visitors are advised to arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time and to bring an extra layer of clothing for warmth.