Nautical activities

Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve

A Taste for Adventure

Though beyond the park's formal boundaries, the waters surrounding the Mingan Archipelago provide the opportunity to practice a wide range of marine activities.

What could be better than gliding through the water, carried away by the breathtaking array of forms and colors of the world that is opening up right before your eyes? Whether by boat, sailboat, sea kayak or stand up paddleboard, you are sure to enjoy the salt tang of the region.

Under the waters around the islands, supreme visibility, intense colors and a surprising array of animal life await you.

Winged wildlife is everywhere in the archipelago. In order to protect them, please respect the code of ethics for seabird observation and navigation in the Mingan Archipelago.

Observe as you travel through the water, but without disturbing!


Sea kayaking

Paddle stroke in Minganie!

The Mingan Archipelago provides access to over 100 kilometres of navigable waters within islands and islets. Thinking about a sea kayaking trip? Several possibilities are available to you! In Minganie, a company offers excursions and sea kayak rentals with the possibility of various departure points on the coast. You want to leave from Quebec or Montreal? A company offers complete packages to Minganie from these locations. For more information, refer to the list of maritime transport services.

This foreland territory offers a multitude of itineraries, each from varying distance from the service centres. You will be able to capture the sought-after tranquility and change of scenery as long as you take all the necessary precautions, show good judgment and prepare adequately.

Boating

A Sailor’s Idyll

Here you can cast anchor in the calm waters at day's end and discover the pleasure of visiting an island in its natural state, an island where Neptune has left his lasting signature.

This diadem of islands and islets stretched round the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is a paradise for boaters. The deep bays offer superb anchorage and the local villages provide for all the visitors' needs.

To experience the most from your stay, plan your trip well and make sure your preparations are adequate. Get more information about the risks to navigate in the archipelago by reading our safety tips.

Paddle board

By choosing to take part in a paddle boarding excursion or to rent a paddle board, you will have a memorable time surfing on the crystal clear waters around the islands or setting out paddle boarding from the beach of Havre-Saint-Pierre. You will get a sight of the submarine life present in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence while admiring beautiful landscapes.

Scuba-diving

Another World

Just float down through the mirror that separates the earthly world from the underwater world. Here you will find plunging underwater reefs, covered with marine life, and strangely shaped, brightly colored plants. Here is a world of anemones, sea urchins, star fish, sea cucumbers and a multitude of invertebrates layering the limestone bedrock.

There are many diving sites but to access them, we advise you to first get in touch with a certified diving company (see Maritime Transport Services under "Taxis"). There you will find services geared towards diving, snorkelling and all kinds of activities.

Note that you must have your own diving equipment. Only oxygen tanks can be rented on site.

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