Having a whale of a time

Having a whale of a time - OK this is long but.......

After finally tearing ourselves away from the delights of Quebec City, we headed on out the mighty St Lawrence.  The river is now more an inland sea having spread to many miles across, yet it is still easy to spot the massive freighters that run this route.  We also spotted beluga whales on our trip to the friendly marina at Cap a l’ Aigle.  This little weigh-point allows an easy stop on the trip to the fjord at the Saguenay River.  Although the marina is tiny compared to the 400+ slips in Quebec City, they have a big, warm welcome for visitors, even ones like us who speak only a little French.  Both Jacques and Norman, who spend their summers here, have excellent English and were very helpful to us.  The Bistro le Refuge was a big hit for breakfast – we had to wait for the tide so why not enjoy eggs Benedict with a view of the river? 

Our next stop was Tadoussac at the mouth of the Saguenay fjord.  The docks here are on a first come first on basis and we were hoping to be there early enough to get a spot.  With some weather brewing we knew that others would also be looking to tie up so it was a nice surprise to find they still had room when we arrived.  The cheerful, dreadlock festooned dock master guided us in with flawless English.  It was a nice bonus to find ourselves docked behind Adagio 1 – the  Krogen Whale with Michele and J.E. that we enjoyed meeting in Quebec City.  They had already been up the fjord and generously shared the secrets on this area over some adult beverages. 

Tadoussac is a tourist town sprinkled on the edges of the Saguenay and overlooking the St. Lawrence.  This is one of the best places to catch a ride for whale watching if not traveling by boat.  The small and large cruises leave regularly from the marina.  We enjoyed watching the watchers – all geared up in their orange survival suits.  – kind of resembled popsicles according to our friends on Adagio 1 – not a bad description.  We were lucky to do our whale, seal, and bird watching from the comfort of our pilot house.  Those open decks and small boats looked plenty chilly to us. 

The water temps were in the 40s and 50s making the air at the surface nippy for our Florida blood. 

This town also hosts a whale research facility with an interpretation center overlooking the river.  We enjoyed seeing the massive skeletons hanging in the main exhibit hall.  The film here, shown in English as needed, helped educate us on the whales that visit this area and the efforts being made to conserve those most endangered.  The belugas that we have seen are among that population – the research continues hoping to pinpoint the causes of their decline. The speculation includes global warming and toxins, but since so little is known for sure about these social creatures, much work remains.

Our walks in Tadoussac passed the historic hotel with its red roof marking an earlier era of summers on the river.  Its gracious interior has been restored for the current century yet it retains the feel of times long gone.  The town has also reconstructed a fur trading outpost that was located here in the very early days of French occupation.  We enjoyed the exhibits and the opportunity to handle the sample furs which drew so many to this area. Our final stop was the wooden church perched on the bluff overlooking the bay.  This is reported to be the oldest wooden church in North America.

From the civilized docks of Tadoussac we traveled up the fjord/river Saguenay to the very scenic moorings in Baie Eternite.  The three mooring balls here are controlled by the park and a bargain at 15$ a night plus park entrance fees.  We spent several days in the park.  The must do trek is up to the Notre Dame stature which overlooks the fjord.  One reviewer cautions that the hike is not for the faint of heart.  Actually, it is not for the weak of body as the 3.3 kilometer trip to the base of the statue is steep up – a short break at almost level – and steep down.  All of this of course is repeated to return. Steve patiently waited for me to get up and down with the gimpy knees mostly uncomplaining.  We were fortunate to have the trail up to ourselves as we left early in the morning.  On the way back we passed many struggling upwards asking how much further and were they finished with the hard part.  The group with three young boys and two toddlers getting backpacked up were the most energetic.  Steve met them again later and said they had faded just a tad.  Even the little guys were slowing down.  (He may have said that to make me feel better.)  There were also less strenuous walks along the river and in the lush green meadows but these included some hummingbird-sized mosquitoes.  It is also worth mentioning the film in the welcome center that made me seasick.  Even on a small screen the view of the fjord from the plane swooping through the river and up the steep walls pushed my nausea buttons.  However, it was interesting to see the displays on how the 3 kilometer thick glacier dug the fjord.  The English translation of the text was handy here as it had been in Tadoussac.  So far our minimal French has not been a severe limitation.

Our next stop on the return trip was in the village L’Anse St. Jean. After several days in the stillness of Baie Eternite, it was a jolt to return to traffic, and the bustle of a busy Sunday in the height of tourist season.  Lots of families were out enjoying the day, wandering the shore, and taking the shuttle to the attractions along the fjord. We were grateful for the crowd on the dock who hustled out to grab out lines as we blew into the marina. The actual dock master just smiled as all the volunteers secured us to his dock.

One of the main attractions in l’Anse St. Jean is an attractive covered bridge complete with art display inside although Louise’s Bakery may have rated higher with Steve.  The shop is justly famous for the pies Louise bakes and the huge loaves of bread.  We were grateful the bakery is open and baking on Sundays during the summer.  The buckwheat lunch crepes across from the marina added to our enjoyment of the beautiful if windy afternoon.

Our early AM departure was dictated by the tide since we were seeking slack water for our crossing of the St Lawrence. The waters at the mouth of the Saguenay are notoriously unfriendly when the tide rips – especially when winds are opposed to the currents.  However,  the winds from Sunday had diminished and we glided over the ripples at the mouth on glassy water.  This calm made for excellent wildlife viewing – we again saw the tourist boats bobbing around prime viewing spots.  We also had no trouble seeing beluga pods, seals and mystery humps as we sped on our way to our next anchorage in Anse l’Orignal – Moose Cove.  The seals seemed to come out to greet us as we dropped the hook on a quiet afternoon – perfect for bird and seal watching.  Steve, on the other hand, had to occupy himself with repairs to the ever critical macerator pump! The captain’s work is never done….