Walk in Sainte-Marguerite Bay: meeting beluga whales

Sainte Marguerite Bay is a small delta formed by the Sainte Marguerite River, which flows into the Saguenay fjord.

1Walk to Sainte-Marguerite Bay

The car park at the start of this small hike is located not far from the road 172 which goes from Sainte Rose du Nord to Tadoussac. The car park is actually a kind of meadow, with some trees, which may surprise (we wondered if we were in the right place).

The trail begins along the broad branch of the river that flows further into the bay. The path runs between the trees and leads us to a suspension bridge. We then pass across the river. For about 2 km, the trail continues through the forest from where you can guess the beginning of the delta between the trees.

The walk is pleasant and many squirrels and a few porcupines are easy to observe.

2Arrival at the Beluga Stopover: the ideal location to observe beluga whales

The trail then arrives at the edge of the fjord. Here the forest gives way to pine trees and the view clears up on the delta. A picnic area has been set up. A wooden footbridge winds its way between the pines and takes us to the extreme tip of the delta where there is a large wooden platform. This is the "Beluga Stopover", a privileged point of view for whale watching. There are signs that give a lot of information about them.

We could spend hours looking at the fjord waters from the lookout.

We also have the possibility, by turning right, to go down to the edge of the fjord, on a beach of fine orange sand.

Speaking of the fjord, this one, which was formed in the ice age, is deep and rises abruptly. The profile of the fjord at this location is therefore an ideal place to live for beluga whales. Not being a specialist in this field, I suggest you read this small article from the Sepaq, rich in information. It is not uncommon to observe the famous "white whales" that we have had the chance to see. See the article Meeting with belugas whales.

Afterwards, it is possible to continue the hike towards Anse de Roche, 10.5 km away. The trail runs along the fjord and provides access to other points of view. But time forced us to turn back, so we didn't experience the rest.

The way back is therefore the same as on the way back. In the end, we spent 2 good hours on site, the time of the journey, but also to enjoy the sight and the spectacle offered by the beluga whales.