the Seal sleep eth..Forillon Parc Que

[spider solo]

Not quite enough for a trip report, but we were doing a couple day trips with the tandem kayak and were esp interested in this one section where we were "blown away" or at least scared off by the wind & using single kayaks last year.
Parc Forillion... Lands End of the Gaspe Peninsula. Checking the tides we went for a shore walk that is other wise unavailable at high water, though not that remote by comparison.
Stopping to pick up some drift wood (don't tell) we started forward when I realize the grey splotchy thing a foot or two away was a seal. Up side down,, slanting down ward and though I don't know much a bout seal hygiene looking kind of "poopy".

Poor dead thing... washed up on shore soon to decompose....hmmm... seems to still be breathing...Poor half dead thing, still alive.
We continue to talk walking a few steps past him. Suddenly he rolls over lifts his head up blinking his eyes at us unbelievingly, and then scampers off... as best a seal can scamper, when a scampering a seal must go !!

Seems his buddies where already swimming off shore and no one woke him up to let him know they had gone slip sliding away while he snozed a snore that we at least had never seen.

 

[el-bagr]

There are a lot of gray seals around Forillon -- big horse-headed seabears. The trail to the tip of the peninsula is also home to the greatest density of porcupines I've ever seen.

 

[cbcbd]

Cool, got any pics of the trip?

 

[funkyfreddy]

I love Parc Forillion! i hope to kayak there some day myself, so far have just hiked and beach combed there!

 

[spider solo]

No pics yet, though someday I will get them together....

Sitting around the campfire the other night we realized it has been for 22 years that we have been going there, though we've missed a year or two here and there.

You know the years are adding up when you start saying things like "I don't recall that tree being there before"...because it wasn't.

Love the seals and the Grey ones are huge and very curious. Love the way they can inflate themselves and rise vertically in the water for a better look.

We always try to give the marine life plenty of room and not crowd them, but seals will swim out to you and check things out for themselves, no matter where you are (mostly if the tide is high and they are already in the water) If they are hauled out up on the rocks they will stay put esp if you keep your distance so they can live in peace .
Great to watch a seal try to stay dry as the tide comes in and they curl themselves up in the air. Like oh no I don't want to get wet !!

Forillon is great . Kayaking used to be forbidden, but the rules changed a few years back, so we have had good luck these past 4 years or so.
The big crux is to paddle around the point...Lands end.
Not for the feint of heart... we have yet to do it. Tides are irregular as the Labordor tides come down and mix with the other tides in the St Lawrence.
They are not on the same schedules as we think of down here.
Talking to the one fellow we know who has done it "everything was fine till we rounded the point and all hell broke loose"
I have read other accounts stating prettty much the same. We will pick optimal conditions when we do decide to give it a go.

Also you can just hop on the AT and hike to it..it's part of the International Appalachain Trail called the SIA (Sentier International Appalache)
So if you have a mind to stretch your legs a bit....par problem.... and it will take you through Parc de Gaspesie as well.

When we are up there we live about 1 1/2 hr from each give or take a little....

 

[cbcbd]

We always try to give the marine life plenty of room and not crowd them, but seals will swim out to you and check things out for themselves, no matter where you are (mostly if the tide is high and they are already in the water)

...

When we are up there we live about 1 1/2 hr from each give or take a little....

Over here it is the law to stay at least 300ft? away from sealife and the fines are pretty big. Nothing you can do if they come up to you, though

So you lived in the Gaspe peninsula?

I was there earlier this year skiing in the Gaspesie park on Mont Albert. The peninsula is just gorgeous and I'm glad I went when I could!