Day 9: A Visit to the Island with 100,000 Birds
This was the very first photo I took after reaching the gannet colony—absolutely blown away by the sheer number of gannets!
Back when I began researching this trip, one location popped out as “must do”—visit Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, or Bonaventure Island, another of Québec’s national (provincial) parks. Accessible only by ferry, the island is home to the largest Northern Gannet colony in North America. And we’re talking A LOT of gannets—more than 100,000! Seeing them up close (and hearing them!!) is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced! And since G has recently become interested in birding and thinking he might want to dabble in bird photography, I really wanted us to experience this outing. Based on everything I was reading online, I was pretty sure the day would be one of—if not the—highlight of the trip.
Getting to the island requires a bit of careful planning. I planned a buffer day in our itinerary for our stay in Percé, mainly because I didn’t want weather to wreck our plans to visit the island. And boy, was I glad we had the buffer, as the day I was initially hoping for us to go was yesterday, and it rained for most of the day. Phew! So, with the weather forecast still showing a chance of showers in the morning and another possibility in the afternoon, we were going to take our chances. We decided on the 10:30 ferry, thinking we’d have the best shot at clearing weather; judging by the line that had formed at the dock, we weren’t the only ones with that line of thinking. In fact, the ferry we boarded couldn’t accommodate all those who had purchased a ticket and were hoping for the 10:30 slot; I’m not sure what happens in that case—if another ferry comes to accommodate the overflow or if they had to wait for the next ferry. I’m especially curious, as you don’t buy a ticket for a specific time—and to my knowledge, you can’t buy them in advance. G had run out earlier in the morning (while grabbing cinnamon rolls because, you know, morning fuel!), and we made sure to get to the dock about a half-hour prior to our scheduled departure.
The ferry ride was narrated in both French and English and though it was hard to hear at times, there was plenty of information about Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island being shared along the way. We were encouraged to keep an eye out for gray seals and perhaps even whales or puffiins—and sure enough, we spotted seals—so cute!! As the ferry made its way closer to Bonaventure Island, the rocky cliff faces of the island started to come into view—along with the birds. But that view paled in comparison to what we’d soon see!
Ferry tickets were $45CAD/each, and admission to the park itself is extra, at around $9CAD/pp. However, since we were visiting so many of Québec’s parks, I had purchased us each annual passes, so we were all set there. The island sits only about 3km from the mainland; however, the ferry crossing takes about an hour going, as the crossing includes a narrated cruise around Percé Rock. From the vantage point of the ferry, you can really appreciate just how massive the rock is. We hadn’t boarded early enough to score an outdoor seat, which would have provided a better view of the rock, but in the end, I’m glad we were inside—many of those at the front of the boat got soaked by a few cresting waves! The indoor seating also made the trip a bit more comfortable, as the morning got off to a chilly start. G and I boarded the ferry bundled in layers. At the time of our departutre, I think I had on long pants, a t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, light fleece, quilted vest, and a rain shell. By the end of the day on the island, however, I was down to just the t-shirt, with my pants rolled in capri-mode. Layers have been our friends on this trip, for sure!
While folks can take the ferry to the island and choose to simply return without disembarking, nearly all the passengers are making the trip for the same reason: to hike to the gannet colony. Once on the island, we were corralled for an overview of the tour, the trails, and what to expect. Luckily, the rangers split us into two groups, so we received our briefing in English. And then we were on our way.
There are four trails on the island, each leading to the gannet colony, and all are rated intermediate. I had already planned for us to take the most direct route, les Colonies trail, which is 6.8km round-trip. The ranger suggested that trail for heading out to the colony but also suggested returning via a different trail, Le chemin du Roy (9.4km roundtrip). So that’s exactly what we did; the roundtrip mileage ended up being almost 9km, or 5.5m (see the cool route pattern courtesy of Strava below!). Les Colonies trail starts out on a bit of an incline (see elevation map below), and G was doubtful he’d be able to complete the hike if the grade continued as it had started. Based on what I had read online, I was confident he could do the trail—as long as he took it slow. I was also confident that if he chose not to do the hike, he’d regret it. Needless to say, he completed the hikes and was absolutely blown away by the colony—we both were!
We could hear the birds before we could see them; then, once we saw them, we could also definitely smell them. I’m sure others might disagree, but I didn’t mind the smell, as it seemed to remind me of living by the beach—that pungent mix of salty, marshy, seaweed-y smells. Would I want that scent bottled up as a candle? No. But I definitely didn’t mind it. The birds—by the hundreds and thousands—were everywhere. They were flying in the air, diving into the water, huddled next to one another, sitting on their ducklings, craning their necks, carrying seaweed and grasses in the beaks. They were EVERYWHERE. And it was truly AMAZING..
G also managed to get a few great shots of the gannets—including a few with their babies!
I’m sure we could have spent even more time watching and photographing the gannets, and perhaps we’ll return one day to do just that!
Our return back via Le chemin du Roy took us on a gorgeous hike through tall grass, along the coast, and down wooden staircases. I’m so glad we returned by this route!
As if the gannet colony and the gorgeous hike back to where we started weren’t great enough, we spotted seals in the water during our hike back, and G was able to take a photo (he had a camera with a telephoto lens; as I was shooting with my Fuji X100V and 35mm film camera, I wasn’t able to). Additionally, there were a few homes scattered on the island that we were able to visit (some were open to walk into). As was the case with Forillon National Park, residents of Bonaventure Island were forced to vacate when the island was expropriated by the Province of Quebec in 1971. The abandoned houses rise from the bluffs and stand in fields, and I was definitely drawn to photographing them.
We finished our hike, rested our legs, enjoyed a cold beverage overlooking the water and then waiting for our ferry to take us back to the mainland. The ferry ride back is a direct sailing of only 15 minutes, as there is no narrated cruise around Percé Rock on the return trip. We were famished, so we grabbed a grilled ham cheese sandwich (G) and a pesto veggie flatbread (T) and a side of Greek salad to enjoy back on the balcony of our hotel room. Our stay in Percé was coming to a close, and this last day had been nothing short of awe-inspiring.
One more sleep in Percé and we’d be leaving the Gaspésie region and heading to New Brunswick for a quick overnight camping stay before moving on to Prince Edward Island for the final leg of the trip. Stay tuned!