When you think of Canadian Maritime delicacies, lobster comes immediately to mind. “Lobster is the biggest section of the fishing industry here,” said Lisa Bullerwell, tour guide for Atlantic Tours.

And what better way to experience a lobster dinner than to go where the lobsters are. The first evening on our trip, we went aboard a 53-foot lobster boat in New Brunswick with Shediac Bay Cruises, where we not only enjoyed a delicious lobster meal — after humorous instructions from Captain Dan Cormier on how to crack and eat lobster — but learned a lot about the lobster fishing industry as well.

As we cruised the bay, the crew brought up an old-fashioned wood trap with a rubber chicken planted in it, then pulled up a contemporary wire cage trap that did have a live lobster in it.

Good sport Kevin Johnston from Australia helped demonstrate how to put bands on lobster claws — and then had to kiss the lobster.

It was a calm, beautiful evening, and the dinner was augmented by the cruise out of the scenic small-town marina at Shediac and past the surrounding countryside.