The Marine Activities in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park Regulations provide a framework for aquatic activities in the park, including the most popular whale watching. This is the only park in Canada that has regulations that take into account the fragile status of certain marine mammals. These regulations establish distances to be respected by watercraft to ensure that whale populations are disturbed as little as possible by human activity.
In keeping with the park’s policy of participatory management, cruise and tourist operators, scientists and the region’s social and economic stakeholders worked together with the governments of Canada and Quebec to draw up these regulations.
There are two parts to the regulations. The first part sets forth the conditions for obtaining permits, such as for cruise operators. The second section stipulates behaviour guidelines to be followed when observing marine mammals.
The abundance of whales, their diversity and the ready accessibility of the area make the marine park one of the best whale-watching sites in the world. Protecting marine mammals through regulations of this nature means that people will be able to observe them for years to come… and they ensure that observers can watch behaviour that is unaltered by the proximity of too many vessels. The experience will be all the more satisfying!
Watercraft are not allowed to come within 200 metres of a cetacean, or within 100 metres if the vessel has a cruise operator’s permit.
If a cetacean approaches to within 200 metres of a vessel (or 100 metres, depending on the type of vessel), the vessel is not allowed to move until the animal dives or has moved beyond the stipulated distance.
For endangered marine mammal species, such as the beluga and blue whale, an observation distance of 400 metres must be observed.
It is prohibited to position a vessel in the path of an oncoming whale if such action would result in the animal passing within 200 metres of the vessel.
If there are more than five vessels within a 400-metre radius of a cetacean, none of the vessels may come within 200 metres of the animal, even if a vessel has a cruise operator’s permit.
If there are five or fewer vessels within a 400-metre radius of a cetacean, vessels holding cruise operator’s permits may move to within 200 metres of the cetacean up to their authorised minimum distance of 100 metres.
Other activities
Scuba divers and swimmers must remain at a distance of at least 200 metres from a cetacean or 400 metres from an endangered marine mammal, such as the beluga and blue whale.
Aircraft over the park are not allowed to fly lower than 2,000 feet (609.6 metres). They are not allowed to land or take off in the park without prior authorisation.
Maximum speeds
The maximum navigation speed allowed in the park is 25 knots.
The maximum navigation speed permitted in an observation zone (within a radius of one nautical mile from a vessel in the process of watching marine mammals) is 10 knots.
When a vessel is between 400 and 200 metres from a cetacean (or between 400 and 100 metres depending on its permit), it is not allowed to:
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go faster than the minimum speed required to manoeuvre; or
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repeatedly stop and start, or change directions.
If an endangered marine mammal, such as a beluga or blue whale, suddenly appears within 400 metres, the vessel must move out of its way at the lowest possible speed required to manoeuvre.
Cruise operators are not allowed to be between 200 and 100 metres from a cetacean:
The time allowed in an observation zone cannot exceed one hour.
Two visits within a given observation zone must be separated by at least one hour.
The restrictions imposed on the number of vessels and duration of observation are aimed at reducing the concentration of vessels around the whales. These measures were recommended following a study on the behaviour of fin whales.
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