A fascinating dive into the world of whales

What do Guadeloupe, Chewbacca, U2, and Snow White have in common? These are the names of some of the whales that frequent the waters of the Parc marin du Saguenay–Saint-Laurent. Yes! It's possible to identify whales based on their physical characteristics. It's easy to see why observing them is such a fascinating activity. Whether on land or on the water, you will go on a unique excursion where you can see the river and its inhabitants from a completely different perspective. Follow the guide!

Cetaceans in love with Québec

Not well know, the migration of these giants of the sea is nonetheless spectacular! From April, the whales enter the Gulf, skirting the Côte-Nord or the Gaspésie Peninsula to the south. They then go up the river to the level of the Bas-Saint-Laurent to finish their journey in June (and sometimes at the end of May) at the mouth of the Saguenay River. Then, come autumn, the vast majority will retrace their steps to return to the Atlantic. Some whales will travel up to 5,000 km to reach the temperate waters of the Caribbean, where they will breed during the winter. 

What attracts them so faithfully, year after year? Good Québec food, of course! More abundant near the poles than in the tropics, food is concentrated given the currents of the St. Lawrence. Plankton, crustaceans (krill), and fish (capelin, herring) make up the bulk of the whales' diet. The gargantuan blue whale, the largest cetacean in the world (25 metres, over 100 tonnes), swallows two to four tons of krill per day!

The St. Lawrence is home to 13 species of cetaceans, including five known as “baleen whales.” In addition to the large blue whale, there are the minke whale and the right whale, not to mention the humpback whale, by far the most spectacular. The latter leaps out of the water, hits the waves with its long flippers, and lifts its tail with each dive. And its song!

Lastly, we meet the "greyhound of the sea", the fin whale, which can drag its 50-tonne body 40 km/h. What are you waiting for to tame them? A trip on the St. Lawrence is a special experience, especially for those with an adventurous spirit, while observing from the shore can also be a sweet moment of relaxation.

Seeing the show from dry land 

Did you know?  

Even though companies that offer excursions aboard small boats (such as Zodiacs or small cruise ships) do everything possible to minimize the impacts, the fact remains that we are in their habitat and we can disrupt the whales' daily lives. It's therefore important to avoid approaching the whales too closely, moving too quickly or too loudly, or chasing the animals. All good reasons to observe these giants of the sea from the shore! Along the St. Lawrence, several sites are renowned for the quality of their cetacean observations. The spectacle is equally magnificent, because, since the St. Lawrence is very deep, our whales swim along the shores. 

Therefore, we can therefore admire them from almost everywhere, such as on the shores of the North Shore, in Parc national Forillon in the Gaspésie, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, in Charlevoix and, above all, in the Parc marin du Saguenay–Saint-Laurent. Do you see birds moving above the water? It's a sign! The whales may not be very far, because the birds sometimes feed on the same fish as them.