(This is a guest blog kindly submitted by Keri. I will follow up soon with a different perspective. PB)
Being new to kayaking (first season this year), and never having been on a kayak/camp adventure, I had no reference point to base this trip on. So when Paul suggested this as our first major outing, I was a little apprehensive. I saw the pictures from two years before and was wondering if my 10+ excursions so far were enough preparation for this level of adventure.
Starting out the first day, after packing up the kayaks we headed on our way. We entered the water at Anse de Roche and headed upstream with the tide. As we got to Baie Sainte-Marguerite (a haven for Belugas), the wind had started to pick up. We did stay in the Bay for a bit as there were many pods of Belugas and it was mesmerizing to watch them. After a while we needed to head to our first camp site at Anse aux Ilets-Rouges. The wind had really picked up by now, and the tide had actually started to turn also and I quickly found myself struggling to not lose any ground. After a while Paul finally put me out of my misery and attached the tow rope to get us both around the point to the safety (and calmness) of our cove. The campsite itself was incredible. There were 6 tent platforms and we were the only ones there for the evening. We unpacked, cooked dinner and enjoyed the solitude of the campsite.
On the second day we were due to head upstream further to Anse du Portage, however I was still having control issues with my kayak and after much frustration it was decided we would paddle locally, and settle on a closer campsite. We enjoyed a nice paddle around some of the islands and shores and saw one lone Beluga before settling on and heading to the Anse de Tidee campsite for the evening. This camping area also had 6 tent platforms and we waited anxiously to see if any other paddlers would show up to see if there was an extra one for us. Luck was with us and although an Adventure Kayak tour from Maine arrived, they had only reserved 4 of the 6 platforms and we were able to make camp for the night.
The third day we awoke, packed up and headed out to our final campsite. Since it was close by, we decided to unpack our camping gear to lighten our loads for the day. The campsite was at Anse au Cheval and had a beautiful landscape to it as we arrived at very low tide.
We were close to Baie Sainte-Marguerite and as we relaxed at the campsite, we kept the binoculars nearby to wait for the Belugas. Finally in the late afternoon they started arriving. The water was very calm and there was only 1 other visible kayak and a few small sailboats. We sat towards one shore and watched the Belugas as if it were our own personal nature program – completely in awe. As we were peacefully and blissfully unaware, a big air bubble came up right in front of my kayak – Paul started laughing at my barely stifled scream, and as I watched below me, the dark form of an adult and baby Beluga passed directly under me. I can tell you I was very scared that they would surface and tip me over, an event Paul thought would be very exciting to have happen. That would be our closest encounter. As the Beluga’s migrated back out of the Bay, we made our way back to camp to prepare dinner.
The nature show was not yet quite over yet. It was now high tide and our camp was very flooded. The beautiful landscape was completely submerged, and as we sat on our tent platform we watched as a harbor seal came into the flooded area, swimming around and poking his head up now and again. What a great way to end our final evening on the Fjord!
The final day we awoke at our usual 5 am, and packed up our kayaks with our camping gear for the last time as we needed to catch the tide as it recedes. We figured we were done with our whale encounters and explored the high Fjord walls. The water was like glass which made it my favorite paddle I have ever done.
I was in control of my kayak and the views were spectacular. To top it off, as we were slowly making our way to the launch, a Minke appeared in the bay before us and we again sat and watched our own private nature show as the whale surfaced, rolled, and fed in front of us for over a half hour.
It was truly an amazing day, and it was going to get better still. We exited the Fjord, retrieved the car and packed the truck back up with all of our supplies and equipment and headed to our last campsite of the trip; Paradis Marin. Again, Paul had been here before, and thought it would be a good place to whale watch. He didn’t know how right he would be. When we arrived we were informed we should drive around and pick out or campsite first, and then register at the office. We decided to take a quick drive through the water front spots on the off chance there was something available. As luck would have it, we spotted a prime camping spot as the current occupants were taking down their tent. Since it was a Friday afternoon, this was great luck!
I stayed at the spot while Paul went and registered us for the night. I sat and watched the glass-like water conditions in the Fleuve St. Lawrent as pods of Belugas, Minkes and even White Beaked dolphins swam by. You could clearly hear their deep breathes as they surfaced. We could hardly wait to get into the water and join them, but since we had not yet eaten lunch, we needed to get some food into us. We couldn’t bear the thought of leaving this front row view, so for the first time of our trip, we ate a freeze-dried meal. We chose the chicken breast and mashed potato meal, and because it was not well measured out, it ended up being cream of potato soup with chicken. It wasn’t too bad, but I think the consistency got to Paul as he excused himself, and when he returned he was done with lunch. After lunch, we quickly donned our wetsuits, and launched the kayaks. I think all the marine life decided it was time to take a break, because although it was a beautiful paddle, we saw whales only sporatically. The interesting part was, since it was so calm out, there were pods of kayakers gather around the fleuve. People were congregating in small groups on the water, just enjoying the fortunate weather and water conditions. The colors of the water were amazing, and although we didn’t see much marine activity, it was still one of my favorite paddles.
As we made our way back to the launch point we encountered some bubbles coming from the deep water. As the bubble path was moving, we were sure that it was a bubble net and moved out of the way to make room for the feeding exhibit we were about to witness. When nothing surfaced, but the bubbles continued, curiosity got the better of Paul and he tenaciously tracked the bubbles until he finally was able to discover the source. It was the elusive marine diver. There were two of them, and if they were able to see the kayak following their bubbles on top of the water, I am sure they were getting a good laugh at our expense.
As the day turned to dusk, we ate dinner and sat on the rocks in the sunset watching the few and far between whales go by. As per usual, we were barely able to keep our eyes open by 8 pm and crawled into our tent for the evening. Just then, we heard a whale blow, so we frantically threw back on our warm clothes and dashed out of the tent to watch the final whale of our evening go by.
The final morning in the St. Laurent we were woken up to the sound of a whale. We unzipped the tent door to reveal a spectacular sunrise and we were again fortunate to view whales saying good morning to us across the glass-like water. It was tough to pack up and leave. We stayed as long as we could before heading out to Quebec City. We enjoyed our time poking around the streets and shops of the city, but I think we both wished for more whale and paddle time. We are already trying to pick our next adventure, but how we will ever equal this experience will be a challenge.
1 comment:
Nicely done Keri! Sounds like a fabulous vacation!
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