Stan
Well-known member
As part of our road trip to the Canadian Maritimes, we enjoyed a most memorable paddle and stay at Forillon National Parc. We stayed at a yurt at Petit Gaspé Group Campground and were the only campers at the entire facility except for a lynx we saw twice and this huge porcupine, which hung around the place constantly
One night we heard an eerie wail, similar to the howls of a pack of coyotes or a flock of loons, barely audible in the distance. My wife suggested it was the wind blowing between my ears but we were to learn later what it was. Meanwhile, we also learned that campers at another campground were scared off by the noise, thinking it was wolves about to attack they broke camp and went elsewhere!
The next day as we hit the water at a small nearby beach on Baie de Gaspé we heard that sound again. After satisfying the curiosity of a seal circling around and under our kayak, and satisfying our own entertainment of this playful creature, we decided to pursue that Siren call, lured like the sailors of Homer’s Odyssey.
To our delight we came across hundreds of seals basking on the rocks. Some were playing in the water, one repeatedly doing a terrific imitation of a trout diving for flies. None were disturbed by our presence or that of a small group of three other kayaks and a sailboat which drifted about 30 yards off shore. The minute one would bark, a horrendous chorus would join in … 150 part harmony. There were many sounds coming from this concert. They seemed to range considerably in pitch and volume; one had a distinctive voice reminiscent of Johnny Cash, another bull was even more assertive in tone.
We regretted leaving this wonderful scene but were cheered to depart with a friendly bonjour:
We then paddled toward the tip of the peninsula, Cap Gaspé, to the south. We had started early enough in the morning to avoid the strong prevailing southerly winds which freshen by early afternoon and carried us as we leisurely “sailed” back to our launch … we carry an umbrella which we use like a spinnaker in these conditions. Here’s the little pocket beach where we ate lunch:
There are a few other places to launch at Forillon, including a small inlet harbor on the Gulf of St. Lawrence side at the Interpretation Center. That is a much more exposed area to paddle and the chop can build up dangerously fast.
There are also several hiking trails in the Park. Perhaps the most notable is the International Appalachian Trail which traverses the length of the Park to lands end. The 8 km (5 mi) hike between Les Graves and Cap Gaspé was an easy and scenic way to earn bragging rights but the seals were all congregated further north.
Here’s a link to the Parc website: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/qc/forillon/index.aspx
One night we heard an eerie wail, similar to the howls of a pack of coyotes or a flock of loons, barely audible in the distance. My wife suggested it was the wind blowing between my ears but we were to learn later what it was. Meanwhile, we also learned that campers at another campground were scared off by the noise, thinking it was wolves about to attack they broke camp and went elsewhere!
The next day as we hit the water at a small nearby beach on Baie de Gaspé we heard that sound again. After satisfying the curiosity of a seal circling around and under our kayak, and satisfying our own entertainment of this playful creature, we decided to pursue that Siren call, lured like the sailors of Homer’s Odyssey.
To our delight we came across hundreds of seals basking on the rocks. Some were playing in the water, one repeatedly doing a terrific imitation of a trout diving for flies. None were disturbed by our presence or that of a small group of three other kayaks and a sailboat which drifted about 30 yards off shore. The minute one would bark, a horrendous chorus would join in … 150 part harmony. There were many sounds coming from this concert. They seemed to range considerably in pitch and volume; one had a distinctive voice reminiscent of Johnny Cash, another bull was even more assertive in tone.
We regretted leaving this wonderful scene but were cheered to depart with a friendly bonjour:
We then paddled toward the tip of the peninsula, Cap Gaspé, to the south. We had started early enough in the morning to avoid the strong prevailing southerly winds which freshen by early afternoon and carried us as we leisurely “sailed” back to our launch … we carry an umbrella which we use like a spinnaker in these conditions. Here’s the little pocket beach where we ate lunch:
There are a few other places to launch at Forillon, including a small inlet harbor on the Gulf of St. Lawrence side at the Interpretation Center. That is a much more exposed area to paddle and the chop can build up dangerously fast.
There are also several hiking trails in the Park. Perhaps the most notable is the International Appalachian Trail which traverses the length of the Park to lands end. The 8 km (5 mi) hike between Les Graves and Cap Gaspé was an easy and scenic way to earn bragging rights but the seals were all congregated further north.
Here’s a link to the Parc website: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/qc/forillon/index.aspx
