Québec’s 3,000-kilometre (1,865-mile) coastline offers visitors an unparalleled maritime experience. Nothing beats an invigorating breath of fresh sea air, and as for seafood ... Island lobster and Matane shrimp are simply to die for!
Québec’s coastal waters are teeming with marine life, which visitors can discover at a number of interpretation centres. The Bioparc de la Gaspésie, for instance, displays a variety of ecosystems from the Gaspé region and the species that inhabit them. The tanks and pools of the Aquarium des Îles and Exploramer house a live collection of marine organisms from the St. Lawrence River. You can also set out to discover the sea and its secrets via the gastronomic route, in one of Percé’s many restaurants, or by simply strolling along the shoreline at sunset. Love at first sight ... or bite!
On the North Shore, the Centre de découverte du milieu marin invites visitors to take an underwater tour without getting wet, through an interactive dive projected on a giant screen. Marine mammals are also in the spotlight: the Centre d’interprétation des mammifères marin in Tadoussac and the Centre d’interprétation du phoque on the Îles de la Madeleine are veritable treasure troves of information for those who want to know more about our sea friends.
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Visitors can get a vivid sense of how the landscape changes the length of the St. Lawrence by taking a cruise from Montréal to the Îles de la Madeleine, organized by Groupe CTMA |
 Seeing coastal landscapes from a boat gives you a whole new perspective. Visitors can get a vivid sense of how the landscape changes the length of the St. Lawrence by taking a cruise from Montréal to the Îles de la Madeleine, organized by Groupe CTMA. Best of all is watching whales in their natural environment. Companies like Croisières Groupe Dufour and Croisières AML offer whale-watching cruises from a number of ports, including Baie-Sainte-Catherine/Tadoussac. Croisières AML also offers departures from Rivière-du-Loup.
 Nature-lovers will adore the possibilities afforded by the sea. From deep-sea diving to kayaking, the choice of destinations is immense. Deep-sea divers exploring the waters around Percé Rock will get to see a wealth of marine plant and animal life, while kayaking around the islands of the Mingan Archipelago is simply magical. Sea kayaking is another possibility in the Parc marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent—a protected space of water extending from Cap-à-l’Aigle to Les Escoumins on the north shore of the St. Lawrence—or alongside the famed red cliffs of the Îles de la Madeleine.
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