The Saguenay Fjord and Tadoussac

The Saguenay is a true fjord, cut by ice and running over a hundred kilometres inland between cliffs that drop straight to water more than two hundred and fifty metres deep, and it is among the southernmost fjords anywhere. Where it meets the St Lawrence at Tadoussac, cold deep water is forced up over a sill, bringing nutrients with it, and the result is a feeding ground that draws minke, fin and humpback whales through the summer and blue whales, the largest animals that have ever lived, in some years. A population of beluga lives here year-round rather than migrating, one of the southernmost in the world and now endangered, with strict rules keeping boats away from them.

What you actually see

• Whale watching from Tadoussac - minke, fin and humpback, sometimes blue.
• Belugas - resident year-round, watched from shore at Baie-Sainte-Marguerite.
• The fjord cliffs - Cap Trinité and the statue above the water.
• Tadoussac - the small village and its red-roofed hotel above the bay.

When to go

June to October is the whale season, with the best numbers and variety from late July to September. Belugas are present all year. Boat trips run from May to October and are cancelled in heavy weather. Autumn colour along the fjord in early October is superb.

Honest expectations

Belugas are protected and boats must keep away, so the reliable way to see them is from shore with patience and binoculars, not from a whale-watching boat. Zodiac trips are cold, wet and rough, and seasickness is common; the larger boats are steadier but keep more distance. Nothing is guaranteed. Accommodation in Tadoussac is limited and books out.

Nearby

Québec City is two and a half hours southwest; Charlevoix is on the way.