70 km (45 mi.)La Pocatière to Rivière-du-Loup

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Your trip begins in Bas-Saint-Laurent, home to mudflats that are easily accessible bird-watching sites. In La Pocatière, you may spot Canada geese and black scoters while further east, in Kamouraska, you may see snow geese and ducks.

SIDE TRIP

If you want to explore the Témiscouata area, which is located inland, visit Parc national du Lac-Témiscouata where you can spot up to 150 species of birds, including bald eagles, the park’s animal emblem. If you head to Pohénégamook, you are very likely to see white-tailed deer instead.

110 km (70 mi.)Rivière-du-Loup to Rimouski

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From Rivière-du-Loup, head to Île du Pot à l’Eau-de-Vie (Brandy Pot Island) and Île aux Lièvres (Hare Island) to observe a multitude of seabird species. Société Duvetnor, the organization that protects these islands and their bird colonies, offers sea excursions with an interpreter guide. You can also hike to the tip of Île aux Lièvres to admire seals basking in the sun.

If you enjoy watching birds, be sure to stop further east along the coast in the Cacouna and L’Isle-Verte areas to visit Parc côtier Kiskotuk, one of the finest birding sites in Québec. Cacouna is also a great place to learn about the St. Lawrence belugas and admire these cetaceans in their natural habitat. To do so, stop at the land-based Putep ’t-awt marine mammal observation site.

You will then arrive at Parc national du Bic, just west of Rimouski. Harbour and grey seals are one of the park’s main attractions and are easily observable from the shore. Seabirds, birds of prey (in the spring) and white-tailed deer are also likely to cross your path in this park.

260 km (160 mi.)Rimouski to Carleton-sur-Mer

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Off Rimouski, Saint-Barnabé Island offers about 20 km (12 mi.) of hiking trails where you can spot over 70 species of birds as well as harbour seals.

Next, follow Route 132 inland towards the Matapédia Valley, in Gaspésie. Once you arrive in the town of Matapédia, you can participate in an unusual activity: snorkelling with Atlantic salmon with Nature Aventure. Then keep driving east towards Carleton-sur-Mer and stop in Parc national de Miguasha along the way, where you can learn more about various animals that lived 380 million years ago! This park is home to an impressive collection of fish fossils, including the only intact specimen of Elpistostege watsoni in the world.

SIDE TRIP

From Pointe-à-la-Croix, you can make your way to Souris, Prince Edward Island, and take the ferry to the Îles de la Madeleine. During your stay on the archipelago, you can observe up to four species of seals: grey, harbour, hooded and harp seals. In addition, over 300 species of birds have been recorded in this region, much to the delight of birding enthusiasts!

215 km (135 mi.)Carleton-sur-Mer to Percé

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Drive on to Bonaventure, where you can visit the Bioparc de la Gaspésie, home to 40 species that are indigenous to this region, including caribou, moose, white-tailed deer, black bears and various reptiles, amphibians and insects. Want to try something unusual? Spend the night in this wildlife park during the “Overnight with the Wolves” activity.

On your way to Percé, you will drive by several renowned bird-watching sites, such as those found in Paspébiac, Port-Daniel–Gascons and Chandler.

65 km (40 mi.)Percé to Gaspé

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Percé is home to the world’s most accessible northern gannet colony on Bonaventure Island. About 110,000 of these birds nest in Parc national de l’Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé. Boat excursion companies such as Les Bateliers de Percé and Croisières Julien Cloutier offer boat trips to the island as well as whale-watching excursions.

On the way to Gaspé, stop at the Malbaie Salt Marsh to see more than 200 species of birds, including great blue herons, American bitterns and Canada geese.

200 km (125 mi.)Gaspé to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts

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In Gaspé, Forillon National Park offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature on a territory that is home to diverse and abundant wildlife. On land, you may encounter moose, black bears, beavers and porcupines; if you look up, you are likely to spot razorbills, gulls and other seabirds. (Inquire about the guided interpretive activities offered in this park.) Out at sea, you can go on a whale-watching excursion with Croisières Baie de Gaspé to meet the marine giants found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off Forillon, including impressive blue whales and spectacular humpbacks. You can also enjoy a sea kayaking excursion among the seals with Cap Aventure.

Cap Aventure also offers a whale-watching safari aboard a Zodiac, departing from the Gaspé marina. Keep your eyes peeled: you will also see lots of seabirds during this outing!

Past Gaspé, your drive through the La Haute-Gaspésie sector will be dotted with rest areas that are perfect spots to observe birds.

90 km (55 mi.)Sainte-Anne-des-Monts to Matane

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To find out more about the marine species that live in the St. Lawrence, stop to visit the Exploramer science museum in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. Touch crabs, sea urchins and sea cucumbers in the touch pools; participate in a fish-harvesting activity along the shore; or help haul in crab and whelk traps during a sea excursion. You also won’t want to miss the museum’s fascinating exhibitions!

SIDE TRIP

From Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, head inland to Parc national de la Gaspésie, where a hike may lead to amazing encounters with white-tailed deer, moose or caribou. In fact, the park is home to the only herd of woodland caribou found south of the St. Lawrence, a population that is endangered. Several interpretive activities with naturalist guides are also offered in this park.

2 h 20 by ferryMatane to Baie-Comeau

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A detour inland to the Réserve faunique de Matane will give you the opportunity to observe two majestic species in the company of a guide: moose and black bears. This wildlife reserve is also home to white-tailed deer, small mammals and over 150 species of birds.

Next, you will take the ferry from Matane to Baie-Comeau (or Godbout) in the Côte-Nord region. Keep your eyes peeled during the crossing as you are likely to see marine mammals!

230 km (145 mi.)Baie-Comeau to Sept-Îles

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This part of the Côte-Nord region is a dream come true for birders, who can observe seabirds in Godbout Bay, watch osprey diving at Pointe-des-Monts and admire birds of prey in the Réserve faunique de Port-Cartier–Sept-Îles, to name only a few possibilities.

220 km (135 mi.)Sept-Îles to Havre-Saint-Pierre

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In Sept-Îles, enjoy a sea excursion to the Sept Îles Archipelago, which will take you to the bird sanctuary on Corossol Island. Although the boat must stay beyond a 500-metre (1640-foot) radius of the island, you will see many birds wheeling overhead, including razorbills, black guillemots and common murres. As a bonus, you will undoubtedly spot whales!

250 km (155 mi.)Havre-Saint-Pierre to Kegaska

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Off Havre-Saint-Pierre, you will see a mysterious and impressive sight: the islands and islets in the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve. Home to limestone monoliths sculpted by the sea, this archipelago is also one of the best places in Québec to see Atlantic puffins, which are appropriately nicknamed “sea parrots” and “clowns of the sea.” This park reserve is also home to the largest concentrations of terns and common eiders in the Gulf of St. Lawrence as well as many marine mammals.

SIDE TRIPS

A stay in Parc national d’Anticosti on Anticosti Island, in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is an opportunity to encounter white-tailed deer: about 115,000 of them live on this island. In addition, the largest concentration of bald eagles in the province of Québec is found here.

From Natashquan, you can board the MV Bella Desgagnés supply ship to visit the Lower North Shore. As you travel from village to village all the way to Blanc-Sablon, you will have many opportunities to spot the seals, whales and birds that live in and along the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

300 km (190 mi.)Kegaska to Rivière-au-Tonnerre

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Heading back west on the same road, be sure to stop a few times along the way. In this area, you will find several popular bird-watching sites, including the marsh in Baie-Johan-Beetz where you may spot American bitterns, green-winged teals and up to 40 species of passerines.

360 km (225 mi.)Rivière-au-Tonnerre to Pointe-aux-Outardes

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Before you continue your journey, take a moment to observe marine mammals from the shore in Rivière-au-Tonnerre. You will also have many other opportunities to do so along Route 138, including in the areas around Godbout and Franquelin.

190 km (120 mi.)Pointe-aux-Outardes to Tadoussac

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Parc Nature de Pointe-aux-Outardes, where 255 species of birds have been recorded, is one of the five best bird-watching sites in Québec. Birds can be sighted in the nature park’s nine ecosystems as well as in the bird garden, where you will also find a butterfly aviary and an insect hotel. Want to sleep like a bird? Enjoy an unusual glamping experience in one of the nature park’s giant birdhouses!

As you continue driving southwest, you will have other opportunities to see birds, namely at the salt marsh in Longue-Rive, which is the second largest in the province. Take advantage of the raised decks to observe various species, including several that are endangered.

In Les Escoumins, the Marine Environment Discovery Centre, which borders the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, is a popular place to observe whales from the shore and participate in a live virtual dive. The exhibition on site is a perfect complement to your whale-watching experience.

Learn more about the whales at the Cap-de-Bon-Désir Interpretation and Observation Site in Les Bergeronnes before setting off on a Zodiac excursion to see marine mammals up close with Du Fleuve (Les Escoumins) or Essipit Cruises (Les Bergeronnes). The latter also offers the opportunity to observe black bears in a natural setting in complete safety.

Tadoussac

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One of the best places in the world to observe whales, Tadoussac is the last stop on your itinerary. Board a sightseeing boat or Zodiac with Croisières AML to explore the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. Minke whales, humpbacks and blue whales (the largest animals on the planet) await you here! If you would prefer to stay on dry land, head to Pointe de l’Islet, an excellent land-based observation site. To find out more about these giants of the sea (and even learn how to sing like them!), visit the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM). To learn more about belugas in particular, an endangered species living in the St. Lawrence, visit the beluga interpretation centre in Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay, where you can also observe these whales from several lookouts.

Tadoussac is also a renowned bird-watching site. The Tadoussac dunes are a rare staging area for the migratory boreal owl, a small, relatively unknown bird of prey. You can even participate in owl banding nights!

SIDE TRIP

From Tadoussac, take Route 172 to Sacré-Coeur, where you can visit the Ferme 5 Étoiles holiday resort. Spend the night at the farm, which is a refuge for wild animals (including moose, wolves and bison), and help feed the animals. You can also participate in a guided black bear-watching activity.