Learning to Lobster the Acadian Way – Shediac Bay Cruises Lobster Tales Review

Of all the lobsters I consumed during my two weeks touring the Canadian Maritime provinces, Shediac, New Brunswick, takes the crustacean cake. This small Acadian town is known as the lobster capital of the world and even boasts the world’s largest lobster. Although fitting, it was actually my time with Shediac Bay Cruises that made the experience so great and oh so tasty. Thanks to their Lobster Tales cruise (see what they did there ;)) I also found out I have been lobstering wrong all these years. 

Read on for my Shediac Lobster Tales review and find out why eating lobster the Acadian way is the only way.

What’s a Lobster Cruise Anyways?

We rolled up to the Shediac wharf and found a wooden cutout of a lobster for tourist photo ops. We instantly questioned what kind of tourist trap we were getting into. Admittedly, I had no idea what this Shediac Lobster Tales cruise was all about. One could only guess fishing for lobster and eating them on board. What’s not to like about that? This thought changed when a busload of 50+ tourists pulled up and boarded. Owner/captain/god-damn lobster whisperer Ron popped on his wireless microphone headset and began his very canned tour. Although I could feel my eyes rolling, I was in for an incredible treat.

Educated in all Things Lobster

We set sail into the sunshine of the Shediac harbour to the sounds of Acadian music. Once in “international waters”, Ron opened the bar with the ring of a bell. He then went on to explain that we were in very good hands. Ron is a seasoned lobster fisherman with 29 years of experience under his fisherman’s cap. His wife/first mate/better-half is the daughter of a lobster fisherman and together along with their staff, run a very tight ship.

After explaining the surprisingly fascinating details about lobster traps, Ron, with a little crowd participation, hauled in a lobster trap containing a rubber chicken for the non-lobster eaters on board. The crowd roared and, admittingly, I did too. Ron’s delivery is thoughtful and his humour is contagious. Suddenly this trip was turning out to be an enjoyable sail. It could have also been the double Caesars. 

Note, why anyone would take this Shediac Lobster Tales cruise and not even like lobster is beyond me, but apparently, it does happen. But I digress…

A second trap came on board bearings three lobsters. With 55+ hungry passengers, there was no way we were pulling up enough traps for our dinner. This was purely for demonstration purposes, and what a demonstration it was. From how the traps work to explaining how lobsters catch prey, move, eat, and reproduce, Ron knows his stuff! He truly is a lobster whisperer and instantly reminded me of Tommy from my time touring the deserts of Namibia. Instead of snakes and chameleons, Ron covers crustaceans in the most interesting and interactive way possible.

Tuck in

The demonstration did not stop there as Ron continued his talk of all things lobsters from sustainability to how to cook and enjoy a lobster properly…a.k.a. the Acadian way. Boiled in very salty water and then given a very salty ice bath produces the tastiest meet as well as making it incredibly easy to get at. Piece by piece, Ron deconstructed his lobster with mind-blowing precision using only his hands. Like some sort of lobster Jedi, Ron revealed lobster pieces and juices I never knew existed.

When it was our turn to tuck in I said there is no way I would be able to reproduce cleaning a lobster with such ease and efficiency. Turns out, when cooked properly…a.k.a the Acadian way, lobster is incredibly easy to crack. It is also so very satisfying and so very tasty. This was my biggest takeaway from this Shediac Lobster Tales Review.

With nothing but our hands we cracked, sucked, and pulled delicious lobster meat with ease, all without butter. Again, if it is cooked right, nothing extra is needed as it only masks the taste.

Set Sail with Lobster Tales

By the end of my meal and experience, I took away a couple of things. One, I have been lobstering wrong all these years. Skip the butter and cook lobster the Acadian way. Two, this lobster cruise was the most interesting and tasty thing I had done on my entire trip on the East Coast.

Ron and company put on a great show and educate all and on how to properly enjoy a lobster as well as the importance of the lobster industry to the region. This should not be a surprise as Shediac Lobster Tales has been named a Canadian signature experience, one that proudly showcases Acadian culture. Yes the tour is a touch cheese, and cheese never goes with seafood, but in the curious case of this Shediac Lobster Tales Review, it is worth the touristy touches and truly is a must-do when visiting the East Coast and the lobster capital of the world.

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Although this Shediac Lobster Tales Review was made possible by Tourism New Brunswick / Nouveau-Brunswick,
the experience, opinions, and lobster lesson were my own.