A protected marine area with exceptional biodiversity, the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park is home to over 2200 species, from microscopic algae to blue whales.
Some of the best whale watching in the world can be found in Quebec’s Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, created in 1998 to showcase the spectacular scenery and marine wildlife of the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord. Its frigid waters are even a great place to dive into!
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Located in Les Escoumins, the Centre educates visitors about the park’s aquatic environment and conservation efforts. Guests can participate in an underwater dive without getting wet, in a theatre watching biologist-divers equipped with a camera and mic go live beneath the St. Lawrence River.
Feeling brave and wanting more, I donned a wet suit, mask, snorkel and fins and dive into the river’s 2-degree Celsius waters. I am shocked, not by the cold, but by the colour and variety which I see, starfish, vivid sea anemones, urchins, sea cucumber, and jellyfish.
Also worth a visit is the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre in Tadoussac where they keep a daily record of whale sightings. Inside is an impressive collection of whale skeletons; bones you can touch, whale sounds to listen to, and photos to help you identify the specific whales you might see.
I recognize one of our humpbacks as Tic Tac Toe – so named because of the “X” mark on her tail. Identifying her, I must admit to a special affinity with this magnificent creature of the deep – summering in this spectacular marine park, wintering in the Caribbean.
Entire article was written by James Ross and can be read in Cruise and Travel Lifestyles Fall and Winter issue.