We departed Baie Éternité Monday morning, and cruised about 72 miles toward Rimouski, but decided to stop and anchor overnight at Île du Bic about 12 miles short of Rimousky. Another Parcs Québec national park. Much of the cruise was in moderate fog, so the fog horn was activated, and we kept a close eye on the radar. Since this area is prime whale watching country, we kept another eye open for whales. We spotted several belugas, some harbor seals, and what may have been a finback whale, but too far off to be sure. Photos are difficult at the distance we spotted them, so we’re hoping to get a closer encounter in order to catch a few good photo records! Not much boat traffic, we passed a few sailboats, and one freighter. Water temps ranged from the 60’s in the Saguenay, to low 40’s in the St. Lawrence. As the water temperature drops below about 46, the incidence of fog increases. It’s a bit disconcerting not being able to see one’s surroundings, but we’re becoming acclimated to it. The worst is not being able to see the wonderful scenery or spot wildlife as we make our way along the Seaway. Still, it doesn’t preclude travel, it’s just a different situation than we’re accustomed to. We’ll be on the hook tonight, the first time the anchor has been down since we were in the Brigantine salt pond across from Atlantic City over a month ago! A night for free! We took the pups to shore for a romp before we confirmed that the area is in fact part of the park, and dogs are prohibited. I guess we bent the rules, but we left only footprints. And a little pee.
