North America - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 209

Orca whales off the Mingan
Islands, Québec

of the whales, their habitat and the ecology of
the surrounding region. The operators have to
apply for a permit and follow strict regulations
that ensure they not only deliver memorable
encounters with the whales but they do so
without unduly disturbing the animals: boats
aren't allowed closer than 100m to the whales,
swimming within 200m is prohibited, and the
maximum speed in an observation zone is ten
knots. As a result, the gulf of St Lawrence
continues to be a safe sanctuary and bountiful
feeding ground for these beautiful creatures
- and a sure bet for viewings.

279 whALe-wATching in QuéBec

Québec City is the proud, French-speaking
capital of Québec province. It's also one of the
prettiest cities in Canada, complete with a
romantic old quarter of cobbled streets and
inviting nooks and crannies. Little known to
most visitors is that the city is the gateway to
one of the world's greatest places for whale-
watching.
Québec sits at the narrowing of the St
Lawrence River (the word Québec means
“narrowing” in the Algonquin language), which
opens out to the estuary and gulf of St Lawrence
where, just a few hours from the city centre -
and from mid-May to mid-October - it's possible
to see thirteen species of whale, among them the
blue, fin, humpback, killer and minke.
The variety of whales is impressive, but it's
the respectful manner in which you are taken to
see them that marks Québec's whale-watching
operators as world leaders. Aboard a cruise
boat, inflatable or kayak, knowledgeable guides
will give guests an insight into the behaviour

Need to know The best places to see whales
are the Saguenay-St Lawrence Marine Park (with
numerous departures from Tadoussac, Baie-Sainte-
Catherine, Rivière-du-Loup and Trois-Pistoles),
the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of
Canada and the Forillon National Park of Canada
in the Gaspésie. For a list of whale-watching
operators see W www.quebecmaritime.ca and
W www.aventure-ecotourisme.qc.ca.