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Author Topic:   Whalering for Whales in the St. Lawrence

dfmcintyre posted 04-21-2001 11:07 PM ET (US)
Anyone ever headed out around the Saguenay region of the St. Lawrence?
A close couple from Toronto went up that way during the last week of August / first week September and had a ball, whale watching and kayaking arount the mouth of the Saguenay fjord and into the S/L.
We're giving serious consideration to going up there this September.
It's a long trailer trip, about 10 hours north of Toronto, so it's almost a two day drive just to get there.
Don
triblet posted 04-21-2001 11:56 PM ET (US)
Whale watching is a ball. The grey whales
go by Monterey southbound in January, and
we go offshore between dives to watch them.
Just be sure you know what the rules are on
approaching the whales. Here, they can
approach you, but you can't approach them.
You can parallel them at 100m. The GPS is
real handy for keeping track of what's
going on in open water and tracking speeds.
I've had one come up and blow withing a
boat length of my Montauk.
The rules up there may well be different.
Chuckh
Chuck
lpaton posted 04-27-2001 08:00 AM ET (US)
I live in the Saguenay Lac St John area. Am approx 150 km from Tadousac.
I have the only whaler in the area.Outrage III (19'-8'). If you make the trip in Sept and plan to whale watch over a weekend I will join you. A friend of mine did it last year in a 22' something or other and said it was great. Sept can get cool up here. (its like Oct in T.O.)In these parts summer is the last two weeks in July and if you can make it then its the best time.
If you come I will send you info on boat ramps , whale watching regulations etc.
Laird
simonmeridew posted 05-06-2001 09:45 AM ET (US)
We'll be vacationing in Northeast Canada(Quebec, Atlantic Prov etc) this summer, maybe last week in June/first week in July. We live in northern Vermont.
What kind of boat trip would it be to get to the whale watch area? I have 17' Montauk.
Where would the best place to put the boat in the water?\
simonmeridew
dfmcintyre posted 05-06-2001 11:20 AM ET (US)
Simon
Laird emailed me this site:
http://www.baleinesendirect.net/eng/FSC.html?sct=1&pag=1-2-3-2
it contains info on whale watching regs, etc.
He can also provide ramp sites.
We're planning on a late August or early Sept trip. Am looking at the Cottage Bo-Fleuve to stay at.
Best - Don
lpaton posted 05-15-2001 02:01 PM ET (US)
Don
Bo-Fleuve is at St Simeon. Suggest you get cl;oser to the Saguenay either at Baie St Catherine or on the other side of the Saguenay at Tadoussac. If St Lawrence gets rough I would want to get off it quickly and mouth of the Saguanay is a good spot to leave from or get back to.
Best drive from Quebec rather than the ferry at Riviere du Loup. Its gets expensive with a boat.
I was thinking of doing an overnite this summer and am looking at Tadoussac. Lots of whale watching excursions leave from there and I would just follow a group to best spots. They know where the whales are and the code of ethics.
Try www.tourisme-charlevoix for accomodations.
Ferry across the Saguenay is free.
Laird
simonmeridew posted 05-24-2001 07:44 PM ET (US)
Laird:
Could you provide me with a list of ramps etc for this Saguenay area. I bookmarked the code of ethics, makes sense to me. What kind of whale success can I expect if I go late June/early July? How far out of port would I be running? Is there a source for some river charts? I get nervous in new waters, especially with fog.
Also, what do you mean when you say, the ferry is expensive, especially with a boat? Do I need reservations, etc.? How often does it run? Thanks
simonmeridew
simonmeridew posted 05-24-2001 07:45 PM ET (US)
PS:
I couldn't get the link to work. Sorry
simonmeridew
triblet posted 05-24-2001 11:35 PM ET (US)
The URL worked fine for me the second time
I tried. First time it came up "IPname not
found". Try again.
http://www.baleinesendirect.net/eng/FSC.html?sct=1&pag=1-2-3-2
Chuck
lpaton posted 05-25-2001 10:10 PM ET (US)
http://www.travrdlstsim.com/e/horaire/
The above will give you ferry info. They charge for the tow vehicle,the boat and the passengers. You want to get there at least 1 hour early. They do not take reservations. I suppose it is interesting to take it once.
Whale site gives statistics on sightings. Boat ramps at St Simeon,Tadoussac,Cap a L'aigle and possibly others. I am not sure you could get charts locally. Look up Cdn Hydrographic site and order charts from them.
I will follow the locals out when I go. Don't know how far off shore the whales are but its not more than a few miles. Local guides use inflatables about 20' in length.
I have not been to see the whales yet so am getting my info off friends and the net but I lived close to St Simeon in the mid 80's so know the area. Tadoussac is what I am betting on and the hotel there has a lot of history.
Laird
triblet posted 05-29-2001 09:25 PM ET (US)
We spent about 15 minutes idling along
paralleling two Humpbacks yesterday while
enroute to the dive site. We get lots of
Greys in January, and the odd Humpback,
Blue, Orca, or Minke year round.
And occasionally a pod of a thousand Pacific
Whitesided Dolphins.
Chuck

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Author	Topic: Whalering for Whales in the St. Lawrence
dfmcintyre	posted 04-21-2001 11:07 PM ET (US) Anyone ever headed out around the Saguenay region of the St. Lawrence? A close couple from Toronto went up that way during the last week of August / first week September and had a ball, whale watching and kayaking arount the mouth of the Saguenay fjord and into the S/L. We're giving serious consideration to going up there this September. It's a long trailer trip, about 10 hours north of Toronto, so it's almost a two day drive just to get there. Don
triblet	posted 04-21-2001 11:56 PM ET (US) Whale watching is a ball. The grey whales go by Monterey southbound in January, and we go offshore between dives to watch them. Just be sure you know what the rules are on approaching the whales. Here, they can approach you, but you can't approach them. You can parallel them at 100m. The GPS is real handy for keeping track of what's going on in open water and tracking speeds. I've had one come up and blow withing a boat length of my Montauk. The rules up there may well be different. Chuckh Chuck
lpaton	posted 04-27-2001 08:00 AM ET (US) I live in the Saguenay Lac St John area. Am approx 150 km from Tadousac. I have the only whaler in the area.Outrage III (19'-8'). If you make the trip in Sept and plan to whale watch over a weekend I will join you. A friend of mine did it last year in a 22' something or other and said it was great. Sept can get cool up here. (its like Oct in T.O.)In these parts summer is the last two weeks in July and if you can make it then its the best time. If you come I will send you info on boat ramps , whale watching regulations etc. Laird
simonmeridew	posted 05-06-2001 09:45 AM ET (US) We'll be vacationing in Northeast Canada(Quebec, Atlantic Prov etc) this summer, maybe last week in June/first week in July. We live in northern Vermont. What kind of boat trip would it be to get to the whale watch area? I have 17' Montauk. Where would the best place to put the boat in the water?\ simonmeridew
dfmcintyre	posted 05-06-2001 11:20 AM ET (US) Simon Laird emailed me this site: http://www.baleinesendirect.net/eng/FSC.html?sct=1&pag=1-2-3-2 it contains info on whale watching regs, etc. He can also provide ramp sites. We're planning on a late August or early Sept trip. Am looking at the Cottage Bo-Fleuve to stay at. Best - Don
lpaton	posted 05-15-2001 02:01 PM ET (US) Don Bo-Fleuve is at St Simeon. Suggest you get cl;oser to the Saguenay either at Baie St Catherine or on the other side of the Saguenay at Tadoussac. If St Lawrence gets rough I would want to get off it quickly and mouth of the Saguanay is a good spot to leave from or get back to. Best drive from Quebec rather than the ferry at Riviere du Loup. Its gets expensive with a boat. I was thinking of doing an overnite this summer and am looking at Tadoussac. Lots of whale watching excursions leave from there and I would just follow a group to best spots. They know where the whales are and the code of ethics. Try www.tourisme-charlevoix for accomodations. Ferry across the Saguenay is free. Laird
simonmeridew	posted 05-24-2001 07:44 PM ET (US) Laird: Could you provide me with a list of ramps etc for this Saguenay area. I bookmarked the code of ethics, makes sense to me. What kind of whale success can I expect if I go late June/early July? How far out of port would I be running? Is there a source for some river charts? I get nervous in new waters, especially with fog. Also, what do you mean when you say, the ferry is expensive, especially with a boat? Do I need reservations, etc.? How often does it run? Thanks simonmeridew
simonmeridew	posted 05-24-2001 07:45 PM ET (US) PS: I couldn't get the link to work. Sorry simonmeridew
triblet	posted 05-24-2001 11:35 PM ET (US) The URL worked fine for me the second time I tried. First time it came up "IPname not found". Try again. http://www.baleinesendirect.net/eng/FSC.html?sct=1&pag=1-2-3-2 Chuck
lpaton	posted 05-25-2001 10:10 PM ET (US) http://www.travrdlstsim.com/e/horaire/ The above will give you ferry info. They charge for the tow vehicle,the boat and the passengers. You want to get there at least 1 hour early. They do not take reservations. I suppose it is interesting to take it once. Whale site gives statistics on sightings. Boat ramps at St Simeon,Tadoussac,Cap a L'aigle and possibly others. I am not sure you could get charts locally. Look up Cdn Hydrographic site and order charts from them. I will follow the locals out when I go. Don't know how far off shore the whales are but its not more than a few miles. Local guides use inflatables about 20' in length. I have not been to see the whales yet so am getting my info off friends and the net but I lived close to St Simeon in the mid 80's so know the area. Tadoussac is what I am betting on and the hotel there has a lot of history. Laird
triblet	posted 05-29-2001 09:25 PM ET (US) We spent about 15 minutes idling along paralleling two Humpbacks yesterday while enroute to the dive site. We get lots of Greys in January, and the odd Humpback, Blue, Orca, or Minke year round. And occasionally a pod of a thousand Pacific Whitesided Dolphins. Chuck