Côte Nord	Gaspe Peninsula

Quebec is the largest province in Canada and was the cradle of New France in the 16th & 17th centuries. It's unique history and culture sets it apart from the rest of Canada, but its incredible potential as a wildlife destination is often overlooked. It is one of Canada's premier whale watching destinations, and perhaps one of the only places on earth where visitors have a realistic chance of seeing the near mythical Blue Whale, as well as a variety of other baleine and toothed whales. Quebec is also famous for its mountains and boreal forest and is home to a variety of land mammals including Moose, Caribou, Black Bear, and Beaver.

Although Quebec contains major cities like Montreal and Quebec, most of its human population is limited to a small corridor centred on the St. Lawrence River in the southeast corner, leaving the rest of the province largely uninhabited and still nature's domain. The province's vast tracts of pristine wilderness stretch from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the east to Hudson Bay in the west, and from the southern boreal forests to windswept tundra of Nunavik, an Arctic territory similar in size to France where 90% of the population of 10,000 is Inuit.

Despite it's considerable landmass Quebec is very much a maritime province and the rich waters of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence support an incredible biomass of krill, plankton, and fish which attracts a wide variety of whale species ranging from the ghostly white Beluga to the biggest of them all, the mighty Blue Whale. Other species including the Fin, Humpback, Minke and Northern Right Whale make up an incredible cast of characters that would delight even the most ardent whale watcher. Other marine mammals including seals, porpoises, dolphins, and other small toothed whales also call these waters home, and some of the most important seabird nesting sites in North America are in Quebec.

Quebec also has much to offer in terms of terrestrial wildlife. The lush boreal forests in the south are home to the Black Bear, Porcupine, Beaver, and the emblematic Moose, the largest of the world's deer species. Often in close proximity to the boreal forest the province's mountains, many of them over 3,300 feet (1,000m), are home to the most southerly population of Caribou in North America, the remnants of a once mighty woodland caribou population that stretched all the way south to Carolina. Once hunted almost to extinction these endangered herds now enjoy the highest levels of protection, but predation by Black Bears and Coyotes still represents a serious threat to their long term survival. Further north the sub-arctic barrenlands of Nunavik are home to a much larger caribou population and the wolf packs that follow their migration.

At various times of the year the skies over Quebec are filled with a myriad of migratory wildfowl, songbirds, and raptors travelling south from Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions making it a birder's paradise, and the forests are home to many resident birds including several species of woodpecker. Along the coastline and on remote offshore islands seabirds like the Northern Gannet, Razorbill, Common Murre, and Atlantic Puffin nest and rear their chicks.

Whether your focus is birds, terrestrial wildlife, or marine mammals you will find a visit to Quebec hugely rewarding. It is much more than just a wildlife destination however. The opportunity to immerse yourself in the history, language, culture, and cuisine of this fascinating province makes any visit a multi-facetted experience, and there are numerous opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, canoeing, and sea kayaking.