Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
harbor porpoise, to the largest animal on the planet, the blue whale. You'll also see three spe-
cies of seals and several types of whales, including finbacks, humpbacks, sperm whales, and
even belugas in their most southerly population outside Arctic waters.
Your research will measure the effects of industrial development, commercial river
traffic, and even whale-watching boats (which have exploded in the region during the past
two decades) on the 200-plus minkes that feed in the area. While on the water, you'll collect
data in a Dictaphone (the whales appear and disappear too quickly to do it any other way)
and learn to distinguish behaviors and identification marks. On land, you'll process the data
and listen to lectures by marine biologists. You'll also have plenty of time to read, relax, and
visit a whale museum in the nearby village of Tadoussac.
The research center is based in a hundred-year-old farmhouse overlooking the St.
Lawrence River. You'll bunk in one of two wooden cabins next door. A biking-hiking trail
along the shore connects the harbor with an impressive glacial overlook at Cap Bon Désir.
The research facility even owns two bikes you can borrow.
Cost for the two-week volunteer trips is about $1,400 ($1,648 Canadian). Meals are es-
timated to be an extra $40 to $60 ($47 to 71 Canadian) per week.
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH
Great Canadian Travel Company,
158 Fort Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 1C9, Canada,
800-661-3830 or 204-949-0199, www.ecovolunteer.org, or
Foundation for Marine Envir-
onment Research,
P.O. Box 117, 215, Route 138, Les Bergeronnes, QC G0T 1G0, Canada,
418-232-6422, www.ores.ch.
