Whale watching on The Saint Lawrence River, Near Tadussac, QC
Posted by SalamanderMinimum967@reddit | whales | View on Reddit | 9 comments
In July the whales move up the Saint Lawrence to feed and calve. There are Humpbacks, Fins, and others, as well as white Belugas and Gray seals. I’ve included an info page on the last slide that shows the whales commonly found there. It was a great excursion and I hope to visit again soon. Love the whales!
ronsonc@reddit
Can I ask where in the region you went and what tours you did?
Also interested in doing this, but from my poor googling, it suggests a large region to visit and trying to figure out where we should stay!
SalamanderMinimum967@reddit (OP)
Sorry, I can’t remember the specifics. Anywhere you can find accommodation in town will be close to the harbour (it’s not a big town). In the harbour you can find several tours offered, from a large ship with two viewing galleries and an indoor restaurant, to small zodiac-style craft.
We tried both and both have their merits. The larger ship was more comfortable and the commentary was interesting. There were many whales but, on the day we went, they stayed at a distance from the ship.
There are several zodiac-type tours available and, if you don’t mind getting splashed (operators often supply rain ponchos), I would recommend one of these. The whales are comfortable surfacing very close to these boats and you’re much closer to the water. The photos above were taken from one of these kinds of boats.
ronsonc@reddit
thank you!
SalamanderMinimum967@reddit (OP)
Hi, I can’t remember the specifics except that we went in early July and there were plenty of whales to see! We did two different tours.
The first was on a large boat that had two viewing decks and an indoor restaurant. It was fun snd the commentary was informative but we didn’t see too many whales up close - most were at a distance.
The second tour was in a zodiac-style small boat. These boats floated in the current and the whales were comfortable to come very close. There are several operators of these kinds of tours at the marina so you really can’t miss. Same with hotels/motels.
There is a lot of accommodation available at reasonable prices. Of course it helps to book in advance. A Google search gives you a lot of good options.
One thing I would recommend in addition to the stellar whale watching is a trip to the enormous sand dunes that can be found just out of town, at Les Dunes Park. A great place to spend the afternoon after a morning whale watching trip and lunch overlooking the harbour. There is also excellent hiking nearby. A visit to Tadoussac, Quebec is one of the best experiences Canada has to offer imo.
SalamanderMinimum967@reddit (OP)
Sorry, I can’t remember the specifics. Any accommodation in town will be close to the harbour.
In the harbour there are several tour operators who offer tours on zodiac-style, small craft. There is also a tour offered on a big boat with two viewing decks and an indoor restaurant. The commentary was interesting on the ship and there were many whales, but on the day we went they stayed at more of a distance.
If you don’t mind getting splashed (the operators supply rain ponchos) then I recommend the zodiac style tour. You’re closer to the water and whales surfaced quite close to the boats.
centuryofprogress@reddit
I wonder how often they get blues.
SalamanderMinimum967@reddit (OP)
I’m not sure. It sounds like they see them every year but I’m not sure how many they get. There weren’t any when I was there but there were many of all the other species listed. It was pretty amazing and I would recommend.
ofWildPlaces@reddit
I like the signage: "petit rorqual" for Minkes!
SalamanderMinimum967@reddit (OP)
Yeah the Minkes are pretty small. That last photo before the sign was a Minke.