A WORLD ALIVE WITH NATURAL WONDERS
Beaches, cliffs, wildlife and many birds abound in the Gaspésie region
If you aren’t a bird lover before visiting this unique park, you will be when you leave. Observing northern gannets, the park’s emblematic animal, is a fascinating experience. Travel writer Debbie Olsen
This article contains edited excerpts from Debbie Olsen’s book, 150 Nature Hot Spots in Canada — The Best Parks, Conservation Areas and Wild Places.
My hotel room was comfortable, but I didn’t sleep long on my first night in Percé. I was up early watching the sun rise over iconic Percé Rock.
Ascending dramatically out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, this massive arched stone lies just off the edge of the windswept coast.
It has become the symbol of maritime Quebec and an enduring reminder that the Gaspésie region is unlike any other place on the planet. It is a region filled with natural wonders — beaches, forests, mountains, cliffs, wildlife and birds — so many birds. You could spend a lifetime exploring, but if you only have a few days, check out these three amazing parks.
PARC NATIONAL DE L’ILE-BONAVENTURE-ETDU-ROCHER PERCÉ
“Rocher Percé” means “pierced rock.” The name refers to the 15-metre-high and 30-metre wide arch on the seaward end of this massive stone monolith.
Once connected to the mainland, Percé Rock stands alone at 433 metres long, 90 metres wide and 88 metres high.
Besides serving as a symbol for the region, the limestone rock provides a home to many species of birds and is a breeding site for cormorants and black-legged kittiwakes. A boat tour is the best way to get a close look at Percé Rock and to visit nearby Bonaventure Island. Many different bird species and a variety of marine life can be viewed from the boat.
At Bonaventure Island, you can get off and hike the trails, explore historical buildings and see the birds and wildlife.
Bonaventure Island is a birding paradise. More than 200,000 birds nest on the 4.16-square-kilometre island, including 110,000 northern gannets. Visitors can get very close to the gannet colony, which is by far the world’s most accessible colony and the real highlight of the park.
Four hiking trails lead visitors through fields, meadows and forests to the gannet colony. Park wardens at the colony are also naturalists and can answer questions about the birds and other wildlife. They also lead a variety of interpretive activities on Bonaventure Island.
If you aren’t a bird lover before visiting this unique park, you will be when you leave. Observing northern gannets, the park’s emblematic animal, is a fascinating experience.
PARC NATIONAL DE MIGUASHA
With a total area of just 0.8 square kilometres, this park is the smallest in the Quebec national parks system, but it packs a big punch. It has been recognized by UNESCO as the world’s most outstanding illustration of the Devonian Period.
A 380-million-year-old fossil-rich cliff known as the Escuminac Formation is the focal point. Visiting the cliff, which is an active fossil excavation site, is an absolute must. You can visit the cliff on your own or on a guided tour with a park interpreter. The guided experience provides more information on the geology of the area and how fossils are extracted from the site. More than 14,000 specimens of fish, plants and invertebrates have been extracted from this site.
In the on-site natural history museum, you’ll find magnificent permanent fossil displays.
The most significant museum exhibit, Origins of a Quest, contains the only fully intact specimen of Elpistostege watsoni ever found in the world. Preliminary research on this fish fossil suggests it could be the closest relative to tetrapods — vertebrates with legs. Nicknamed Elpi, this fossil is a key piece of the evolutionary biology puzzle.
There are kid-friendly interpretive programs and hands-on displays, including an outdoor fossil sandbox where children can pretend to be paleontologists extracting Miguasha fish fossils.
After visiting the fossil cliffs, wander along the 31/2-kilometre Evolution of Life interpretive trail loop that runs through a treed area along the top of the cliff. Interpretive panels provide information about the evolution of life on earth, and the trail offers nice views of the Restigouche River Estuary.
FORILLON NATIONAL PARK
The Mi’kmaq called the farthest point of land on the peninsula that juts into the Gulf of St. Lawrence “Gespeg,” which means “where the land ends.”
Today, Land’s End is one of the most stunningly beautiful spots in Forillon National Park — a place where ocean views literally take your breath away. Forillon’s sheer cliffs offer a breathtaking viewpoint and provide important habitat for tens of thousands of seabirds, including the largest black-legged kittiwake colony in Eastern Canada.
Located at the extreme northeast end of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, the 244-square-kilometre park preserves a wide range of habitats.
The waters surrounding the peninsula teem with life and the park includes a narrow strip of marine area that runs along the coast. It’s common to see seals, dolphins and whales, including endangered species like the harbour porpoise, the fin whale and the blue whale. Forillon provides protected habitat for many species. Some 246 bird species, including 125 nesting varieties, have been spotted in the park. Forty-three species of mammals are found in the park.
Five fascinating heritage sites inside the park let you step back in time to the days when commercial cod fishing was the main industry in the region. At Fort Peninsula’s underground fortifications, you can tour a fully preserved Second World War coastal battery and learn about the Battle of St. Lawrence.
There’s lots to love about Forillon National Park. On my last day in Gaspésie, I watched the sun come up on Cap Bon-ami at the easternmost tip of the peninsula. It was an experience that has stayed with me ever since.